Indian opposition moves to impeach chief justice
NEW DELHI, (Reuters) - India’s opposition parties launched an unprecedented bid to impeach the top judge yesterday, accusing him of failing to protect the independence of the judiciary from executive interference, among other charges.
A petition, backed by lawmakers from seven parties, raised five charges against Chief Justice Dipak Misra, including an accusation he arbitrarily used his power to allot sensitive cases and questioning his conduct in the acquisition of land.
Misra came under a cloud in January when the four next highest-ranking judges in the Supreme Court criticised his distribution of cases and raised concerns about judicial appointments.
The judges said then that the issues involving the Supreme Court’s administration were serious enough to prompt them take the unprecedented step of going public with their criticism.
Misra was appointed in August and is due to retire in October, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 65.