The Delhi High Court Bar Association took serious objection to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s letter alleging impropriety by Justice N V Ramana, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court and next in line to be Chief Justice.
In the letter, dated October 6, Jagan had accused the Supreme Court sitting judge N V Ramana of “influencing the sittings of the (AP) High Court including the roster of a few honourable judges” and cited “instances of how matters important to Telugu Desam Party (opposition in AP) have been allocated to a few honourable judges…”. The letter complete with annexures, has also accused the state judiciary and five of its judges of “bias…towards Telugu Desam Party and its interests, in the nature of orders passed staying investigation, staying enquiry and the rest…”.
Reacting sharply to Jagan’s letter, the Delhi High Court Bar Association stated that casting aspersions on a Supreme Court sitting judge is “clearly a dishonest attempt at overawing the independence of judiciary and tantamount to contempt of the Honorable court. It is a blatant attempt to shake the confidence of the public at large in the judicial institution which has been performing its duty of due administration of justice assigned by the Constitution of India.”
In a statement, the Delhi High Court Bar Association strongly condemned Jagan for writing a letter casting aspersions on the Supreme Court judge. The Delhi High Court Bar Association stated that it unequivocally, categorically and in the strongest possible terms condemns the allegations cast upon Justice N V Ramana. Justice Ramana is likely to be the next CJI in April 2021, after Justice Bobde demits office.
In the letter to Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, Jagan had suggested Justice N V Ramana had favoured former chief minister and TDP president Chandrababu Naidu and the judge’s daughters had purchased land under questionable circumstances in Amaravati before the site was chosen for the new Andhra capital. Last month, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had restrained the media from reporting about allegations of corruption in land deals in Amaravati. Coming from a CM facing a large number of cases, the allegations have to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Lawyer Sunil Kumar Singh had also filed a petition against Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy stating that he had levelled “unsubstantiated allegations” against the sitting Supreme Court Judge. Citing Article 121 and 211 of the Constitution, the petitioner appealed to the Supreme Court to issue a show cause notice to Jagan for his “frivolous accusations” against Justice N V Ramana and High Court judges.
