The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) seems to be divided over a resolution passed by its executive committee which “strongly condemned” Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for releasing into the public domain his letter to the Chief Justice of India against apex court judge, Justice N.V. Ramana.
Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, SCBA president, has conveyed to advocate Rohit Pandey, Honorary Secretary of the Association, that he is strongly opposed to the resolution “on principle.”
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Mr. Pandey told The Hindu that the resolution was passed “unanimously” and Mr. Dave had “recused.”
In his communication to the SCBA secretary, Mr. Dave said it was “premature” to pass such a resolution.
“The letter of the Chief Minister is addressed to Honbl’e the CJI and seeks an inquiry into allegations against a sitting Supreme Court judge. We have no idea about the truthfulness or otherwise of those allegations. Truth will emerge once the inquiry, if any is done. At this stage we would be pre-empting the inquiry,” he wrote.
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He said, “I am sure at the end of inquiry, truth will emerge and if allegations are found false, SC must initiate proceedings against the CM. Today it is premature to pass the resolution much less of the kind you all propose.”
In its resolution passed on October 16, the SCBA Executive Committee had referred to Mr. Reddy’s decision to make the letter public and said “such actions by constitutional functionaries are opposed to conventions, causing serious inroads impacting the independence of the judiciary as enshrined in the Constitution of India”.
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Lawyers’ bodies across the country have voiced their objection to the release of Mr. Reddy’s letter to the CJI.
