Polls
Public Poll: Whose side you are on Latest Development of Judges At War?
Four justices of India’s top court on Friday criticized its distribution of cases to judges and raised concerns about judicial appointments, in an unprecedented public airing of problems at one of the country’s most respected institutions.
The move points to far-reaching implications for jurists and politicians in the chaotic South Asian democracy where the Supreme Court often sets the agenda on matters of policy and orders measures taken in the public interest.
Exposing a rift with Chief Justice Dipak Misra, the court’s four next highest-ranking judges said the issues involving its administration were serious enough to prompt them to go public.
“The four of us are convinced that unless this institution is preserved and it maintains its equanimity, democracy will not survive in this country,” Justice Jasti Chelameswar told a news conference on the lawns of his home in the Indian capital.
The justices released a letter they had written to Misra.
In it they mentioned instances of cases with “far-reaching consequences for the nation and the institution” that were selectively assigned by the chief justice without rational “basis for such assignment”.
All Supreme Court judges should be involved in setting the procedures used to hire and promote judges in all the country’s courts, they added.
The chief justice did not immediately respond to telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad declined to comment.
Two close aides of Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was looking into the matter and had summoned top law ministry officials for consultations.
The judges did not give specific details of their concerns during the press conference, but said “it is an issue of assignment of a case”. When reporters asked whether it was related to the case of a lower court judge B. Loya, who died in December 2014 while hearing a high-profile trial, one of the four judges said “yes”.
At the time of his death, Loya was hearing a case that accused Amit Shah, the president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, of ordering extrajudicial killings when he served as home minister under Modi in the state of Gujarat. Shah has since been acquitted of those charges.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing a plea to investigate Loya’s death, local media said.
The BJP and Shah’s office declined to comment.
Separately, last November, the chief justice overturned an order by Chelameswar that referred a case to a bench of the five most senior judges. At the time, Misra said he was the “master of the roster”.
[poll id=”2″]
Gurmeet S. Anand
January 13, 2018 at 3:33 am
If they are so perturbed at the actions of the CJI they should resign and take up the matter from outside. Enjoying all the perks and privileges of SC judges, agreeing to sit in collegian meetings after this and hearing cases after this unprecedented revolt speaks of running with the hares and hunting with the hounds.
Rathiraj
January 13, 2018 at 3:34 am
The Indian society is dangerously getting divided on religious lines with most Muslims and Christians siding with the opposition irrespective of the issue. They will again blame the Hindus for everything. I don’t find a single non-Hindu person talking against the wrong-doings of the previous governments, whether wrong policies, corruptions, violence, etc.
What feedback this partisan media too is providing which itself is divided into two houses?
We never were aware of such inter & intra-religious differences till recently. There can be only two reasons:-
1. BJP spreading hatred to garner votes of the majority.
2. Opposition trying to promote anti-Hindu fear-psychosis to get all non-Hindu votes.
It’s utter shame if we call this nation a Secular-Democratic Republic of India.
Would the media get over it’s greed for money and try guide the nation through a middle-ground of stability and sanity?
Dinesh
January 13, 2018 at 3:35 am
4 Pigs hand picked by Congress,they are doing what they are expected to do.हमने आपका नमक खाया है हुज़ूर ।
Chandrashekhar
January 13, 2018 at 4:06 am
I support CJI
Atul Surana
January 13, 2018 at 7:04 am
I’m supporting CJI.
Lekshmi priya
January 13, 2018 at 9:32 am
This Friday released new movie
” 4 idiots “
BHALJI GADGIL
January 13, 2018 at 10:12 am
THESE FOUR ARE IN REGULAR CONTACTS WITH POLITICIANS AND HENCE THEIR STEPS LIKE UNION ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE . BASED ON THIS EVERY HIGH COURT JUDGES MAY ALSO START SHOWING THEIR WILLINGNESS FOR PARTICULAR CASES ?
R S SATPUTE
January 14, 2018 at 8:41 am
Thease Four bastrds should punished and should be checked
Properly by ED and CBI