A day after four top Supreme Court judges addressed a press conference making stunning allegations against the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s principal secretary, Nripendra Misra, reportedly went to meet him.
The PM’s principal secretary was, however, reportedly snubbed by the CJI, who refused to meet him. According to some reporters, Nripendra Misra was made to return from 5, Krishna Menon Marg residence of the CJI Misra.
5, Krishna Menon Marg has become a top attraction for the waiting media personnel, who’ve been waiting for the CJI Misra’s response since Friday afternoon. However, he has chosen not to react to the allegations of impropriety by the country’s top four senior most judges.
Principal Secretary to PM, Nripendra Misra, seen outside Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra’s residence in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/5C2PVvO36T
— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2018
The Congress was quick to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his decision to send his principal secretary to meet the Chief Justice of India. The party’s chief spokesperson, Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, “As PM`s Principal Secretary, Nripendra Misra visits CJI`s residence at 5, Krishna Menon Marg; PM must answer the reason for sending this special messenger to Chief Justice of India.”
As PM’s Principal Secretary, Nripendra Misra visits CJI’s residence at 5, Krishna Menon Marg; PM must answer the reason for sending this special messenger to Chief Justice of India.
— Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) January 13, 2018
This comes a day after CPI’s D Raja was criticised for meeting Justice Chelameswar after his press conference. One wonders why PM Modi chose to send his principal secretary to meet the CJI.
Four top Supreme Court judges on Friday had taken an extraordinary step when they decided to speak to media against the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra calling the administration in the top court ‘not in order.
Leading the rebellion was the second most senior senior judge, Justice Chelameswar, who said that ‘in the past few months, less than desirable things have been happening.’
He said, “We’ve told the Chief Justice but our pleas have failed. We don’t want people to say 20 yrs later that we did not take care of the institution. Democracy won’t survive without free judiciary.”
The judges, Justices Chelameswar, Kurian Joseph, Ranjan Gogoi and Madan Lokur, said that one of the contentious issues was the high-handedness of CJI Misra in how cases of far-reaching importance were assigned to judges in an arbitrary manner.
When asked, Justice Gogoi confirmed that they were not happy how the case involving the mysterious death of Judge BH Loya was assigned to a bench. Loya was hearing the fake encounter case of Sohrabuddin Shaikh at the time of his death. One of the accused persons in the alleged murder of Sohrabuddin was the BJP President Amit Shah.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi has demanded a highest level investigation by top Supreme Court judges into the allegations made the four judges on Friday.
Gandhi said that the judges had also raised the issue of judge BH Loya case and that needed to be probed. He said, “Unprecedented. Points raised by the Hon judges need to be looked into carefully, even Justice Loya’s death needs to be investigated properly. All citizens who love the idea of justice are looking at this issue, needs to be addressed.”