Corrupt judge charge: Justice Markandey Katju fires fresh salvo
Facing criticism over silence, Katju poses six questions
By : e.t.b. sivapriyan
Update: 2014-07-23 01:50 GMT
New Delhi: Justice Markandey Katju on Tuesday continued his offensive against former Chief Justice of India R.C. Lahoti over the appointment of a “corrupt” judge in the Madras High Court, and posed six questions to him on why he had remained silent over the issue.
Facing criticism from all quarters on why he had remained silent for 10 years and went public only now, Justice Katju sought to keep up the heat on Justice Lahoti, wanting to know from him why he had allowed the government to extend the term of the judge despite an adverse IB report against him.
“Is it, or is it not, correct that after that recommendation of the three-judge collegium of the Supreme Court was sent to the Government of India, he (Justice Lahoti), on his own, without consulting his two other Supreme Court collegium colleagues, wrote a letter to the Government of India asking the government to give another one-year term as additional judge to the concerned judge?” Justice Katju asked.
On his Facebook post, the Press Council chief said he had decided to speak on the issue after 10 years as some “Tamilians had commented on Facebook that I am posting several matters on Facebook, so I should also post some of my experiences in the Madras High Court.”
He went on to add, “Then I started posting about my experiences there, and at this time I remembered this experience too, and posted it.”
As Justice Katju’s revelations and statements by former law minister H.R. Bhardwaj generated much political heat, AIADMK MPs forced two adjournments in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha, demanding that the government name the former DMK minister who had threatened the then Prime Minister and law minister.
The Rajya Sabha also witnessed disruption over the issue with AIADMK and DMK MPs clashing as the House assembled for the day, leading to a brief adjournment.
Justice Katju's six questions to former CJI
1. Is it, or is it not, correct that I first wrote him
(Justice Lahoti) a letter from Chennai, stating that there were serious allegations against an additional judge of Madras High Court, and therefore he should conduct an enquiry, and then I met Justice Lahoti and again requested for an IB probe against the judge about whom I had received several complaints, that he was indulging in
corruption?
2. Is it, or is it not, correct that on my request Justice Lahoti ordered a secret IB enquiry against that Judge?
3. Is it, or is it not correct, that a few weeks after I met him in Delhi, he (Justice Lahoti) told me the IB believed the judge was indulging in corruption?
4. Is it, or is it not, correct that after the IB report, Justice Lahoti, who was then the CJI, called a meeting of the Supreme Court Collegium, and recommended to the Government not to extend the 2-year term of that Additional Judge?
5. Is it, or is it not, correct that after that recommendation of the Collegium, he
(Justice Lahoti), without consulting his 2 other Collegium colleagues, wrote a letter to the Government of India asking the Government to give another 1-year term as Additional Judge to the concerned Judge?
6. If indeed the IB reported that the Judge was corrupt, why did he (Justice Lahoti) recommend to the Government to give the Judge another term of 1 year as Additional Judge in the HC? Court?