Ranjan Gogoi has retired as the Chief Justice of India evoking strong reactions from Twitterati as the overwhelming majority of them condemned him for bringing disrepute to Indian judiciary. Leading the attack was award-winning music director and Indian Idol judge Vishal Dadlani, who termed Gogoi’s legacy as ‘disgraceful and cowardly.’
Sharing a hard-hitting article by Gautam Bhatia, Vishal wrote, “Goodbye, ex-CJI Gogoi, and I hope you can stomach the disgraceful and cowardly legacy you have left this august Office. This article by @gautambhatia88 sums it up.”
Goodbye, ex-CJI Gogoi, and I hope you can stomach the disgraceful and cowardly legacy you have left this august Office.
This article by @gautambhatia88 sums it up.https://t.co/02kSxLix16
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) November 18, 2019
It was the Gogoi-led Supreme Court Bench that delivered a controversial verdict on the Ayodhya land dispute. What baffled many constitutional experts was the manner in which the Supreme Court Bench led by Gogoi had awarded the land to Hindus despite concluding that there was no evidence of the Babri Mosque being constructed by demolishing a temple. The Bench had also concluded that there was enough evidence of Muslim prayers being held at the Babri Mosque until Hindu fanatics demolished the 16th-century mosque on 6 December 1992. The Bench had also gone on to declare the demolition of the Babri Mosque an illegal act.
[MUST READ: Does the Justice Akil Kureshi saga expose Modi government’s anti-Muslim biases?]
Gogoi, who famously held a press conference against the functioning of the then CJI Deepak Misra, left many disappointed with his refusal to act on matters of public interest. One such example was the gross violation of human rights in Kashmir, which faced a brutal lockdown since 5 August after the government announced the abrogation of Article 370. He was accused of willfully ignoring the petitions filed seeking the top court’s intervention.
” Was Gogoi forced to give the SC judgements in favour of the ruling party ,
He has charges of sexual harrasment, and the lady disappeared. Is bjp blackmailing Gogoi.— Retweet Sarkar ?krishna k (@GoSlowplz) November 18, 2019
All thanks to Gogoi, the credibility of the SC as we knew and valued dearly is in tatters.
— Ilyassism (@ilyassism) November 18, 2019
Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi ko Governor banaaya kahi par? #CJIRanjanGogoi #CJISABobde
— Satan-yahu (@Satanyahu) November 18, 2019
Ok, now, Gogoi is actually out of the Supreme Court. Phew!
— Prasanna S (@prasanna_s) November 18, 2019
Vladimiro Montesinos was close to Ex Pres of Peru Fujimori. He snooped on many bureaucrats & judges.Only those who were found in compromising position were given prime posts.
What do you think abt Medical college scam in Misra’s &
Sexual Harassment case in Ranjan Gogoi’s tenures?— Sachin Sawant (@sachin_inc) November 18, 2019
Gogoi has a hand in Ayodhya verdict, NRC, Kashmir, appointment of junior judges and what not. Also was allegedly involved in a sexual harassment case, all of this which speaks highly of his ability to bend the judiciary in the way Modi desired.
— Ajita (@AjitaMishra17) November 17, 2019
Gogoi was also accused of surrendering the judiciary’s independence when the Collegium led by him did not protest the Centre’s Narendra Modi government’s decision to block the promotion of Justice Akil Kureshi. The Collegium had recommended his name to be appointed as the next Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. But the Centre blocked the Collegium’s recommendation. Gogoi did not protest and instead recommended Justice Kureshi’s name for the Chief Justice of Tripura High Court, which is significantly smaller compared to the Madhya Pradesh HC.
Many feel that the Modi government is punishing Justice Kureshi, known to be a very upright judge all through his career, since he had remanded Home Minister Amit Shah, who was then the junior Home Minister of Gujarat, to two days Police Custody in the infamous Sohrabuddin Shaikh murder case.
In 2012, as reported by the Livelaw website, Justice Kureshi had also upheld the decision of the Governor to appoint (Retd) Justice RA Mehta as Lokayukta in Gujarat without consulting the Council of Ministers.