Case to freeze ‘Mango’ symbol revives, as Ramadoss moves civil court

Chennai: A day after the Supreme Court modified the Madras high court order and permitted PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss to approach a Chennai city civil court to freeze the party's election symbol 'Mango' or allot it to his faction, Dr Ramadoss moved the civil court on Tuesday.As the Supreme Court has directed the civil court to wind up the hearing within three days, counsel for Dr Ramadoss made a mention before the XIII assistant judge, City Civil Court, Chennai, M Dharmaprabu. The court agreed to hear the plea on Wednesday, if a formal application is filed. The court further directed the counsel to serve a copy of the application to former minister Anbumani Ramadoss.On March 12, a single judge of the Madras high court stayed the proceedings initiated by Dr Ramadoss before the civil suit, seeking to restrain his son Anbumani Ramadoss from using the name, flag and election symbol of PMK. It also adjourned further hearing to May 10, after the assembly elections saying the court should not intervene when the election process had been set in motion.The interim order was passed on a plea moved by PMK general secretary Vadivel Ravanan, challenging the order of the civil court refusing to implead him in the suit moved by Dr Ramadoss.Aggrieved, Dr Ramadoss approached the Supreme Court challenging the high court order. Refusing to interfere, the Supreme Court observed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) cannot decide a dispute over the allocation of symbols of an unregistered political party, and if the application is filed before the jurisdictional civil court, the court may adjudicate it expeditiously.