Southern States
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Tamil Nadu
HC to the rescue of blind lawyer
By Our Staff Reporter
CHENNAI, FEB. 1. In a significant ruling, the Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission to allow a blind advocate to write an examination for civil judge, scheduled for February 2 and 3.
The petitioner-advocate, B. Veerakumar, was informed of the rejection of his application for the post of civil judges/judicial magistrate (first class), on January 31. He moved the court immediately with a plea that he be permitted to write the examination, with the help of a scribe. Challenging the notification, which left blind candidates ineligible for judicial services, he sought a direction to reserve three per cent of the vacancies for handicapped persons.
(Mr. Veerakumar had been practising as criminal advocate in Cuddalore district, until he joined the Allahabad Bank as law officer on November 19, 2001).
His counsel cited a 1993 Supreme Court ruling, directing the Union Public Service Commission to permit the visually handicapped to write civil services examination and that they be allowed to write in the Braille script or with the help of a scribe.
Today, a Division Bench, comprising Justice R. Jayasimha Babu and Justice F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla, said: ``we direct the respondents to permit the petitioner to take the examination with the help of a scribe. Answers written by this candidate shall be valued along with that of the others''.
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