Taking serious note of an allegedly scandalous publication, the Madras High Court on January 7, 2026, directed the Tamil Nadu Police to seize copies of a book making personal attacks against sitting judge Justice G.R. Swaminathan and ordered authorities to ensure that such publications are not released or circulated. The Court also initiated suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against the publisher.
The First Bench of the Madras High Court, led by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, observed: “We are inclined to initiate suo motu criminal contempt against publishers. Emergent notice be issued to Keezhaikaatru Publishers including private notice to be served at stall in Chennai Book Fair, Nandanam.”
In its six-page order, the Bench said: “The matter is of serious concern and emergent attention of this Court has been brought to the notice through this petition, wherein it has been stated in affidavit that the Publisher and persons associated with them are going to release a book, which contains a title with specific name of a sitting Judge of this Court in extremely derogatory language.”
The Court recorded submissions by counsel for the petitioner that a copy of the title page/front page of the proposed book was already being circulated in the media, including on social media platforms, and had been placed on record for the Court’s perusal.
After examining the material, the judges noted: “Having perused the said document, which is said to be the title page/front page of the book proposed to be released/published on 08th January at the opening of Chennai Book Fair, at once, would show that the pictorial representation, the caricature and the expressions/words used are not only highly derogatory, but virtually abusive. The pictorial representation directly points out with face and name of a sitting Judge of this Court.”
Subject: Urgent: Threat to Judicial Independence – Derogatory Book by Keelaikkatru Publishing Defaming Hon'ble Justice G.R. Swaminathan as “RSS Rowdy?” – Contempt, Criminal Defamation & Caricature Displayed at 49th Chennai Book Fair (Stalls 172–173) – Immediate FIR,… https://t.co/7mmE0kCIU1 pic.twitter.com/wsYwULHdiL
— ANS PRASAD (@ANSPRASADBJP) January 3, 2026
The Bench further recorded submissions by the law officers: “Learned Additional Solicitor General of India and learned Additional Government Pleader appearing for the State would submit that if this to be the title of a book, it is apparently derogatory, abusive and highly contemptuous, as it tends to scandalize the Court and tends to erode the public confidence in the system.”
Taking serious note of the proposed release at the Chennai Book Fair, the Court observed: “We find that the title of the book also shows that the same is proposed to be released on 08.01.2026 from Shop Nos. 172 and 173 at the Chennai Book Fair. On the face of it, the proposed release of the book as titled and shown in the petition is highly derogatory and abusive and crosses all limits and needs to be dealt with stern hands by the Court.”
Directing immediate action, the Bench ordered: “Learned State counsel present in Court, who represents the police officials/Respondent Nos. 2 (DGP), 3 (Commissioner of Police, Chennai) and 4 (Inspector of Police), is directed to take immediate and effective action to ensure that no such book having such pictorial representation, statements, caricature or contents tending to scandalize the Court/Judge are allowed to be published and circulated.”
The Court further directed the police authorities to take appropriate steps, including seizure, to ensure that such scandalous publications do not take place through any medium, including electronic platforms. It reiterated:
“On the basis of the material which we find in the petition, we are inclined to initiate suo motu criminal contempt against publishers.”
Keelaikkatru Publishing House is planning to launch a book titled “Thiruparankundram Affair – G.R. Swaminathan: Judge or R.S.S. Rowdy?” The cover caricatures the Judge one hand clutching a trident, the other a saffron flag portraying.
Critics of the publication said: “It is to be noted that the haste within which the eco-system of anti-Sanatana, anti-Brahmin came out with a book tarnishing the image of the sitting judge and bold enough to publish it during the book fair shows the government patronage these anti-national, breaking India groups are working with. The DMK government’s attempts to move an impeachment motion against Justice G.R. Swaminathan turned out to be a damp squib due to lack of numerical strength in Parliament. It only tarnished a good, hard-working and honest judge with an impeccable track record. Notably, the division bench judges who upheld his verdict were not targeted, while social media attacks branded him an ‘RSS cadre’ with casteist slurs.
