Ex-HC judge writes to President over SC collegium picks
NEW DELHI: Former judge of the Delhi high court justice Kailash Gambhir on Tuesday wrote to the President of India terming the recent decision of the Supreme Court collegium recommending elevation of Karnataka high court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheswari and Delhi high court judge Sanjeev Khanna as judges to the Supreme Court, a “black day” for the Indian judiciary and requested the President to review the recommendations and not “let another historical blunder be committed”.
NEW DELHI: Former judge of the Delhi high court justice Kailash Gambhir on Tuesday wrote to the President of India terming the recent decision of the Supreme Court collegium recommending elevation of Karnataka high court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheswari and Delhi high court judge Sanjeev Khanna as judges to the Supreme Court, a “black day” for the Indian judiciary and requested the President to review the recommendations and not “let another historical blunder be committed”.
In his letter, the retired judge wrote: “The news has sent shockwaves to the entire legal and judicial fraternity. This is appalling and outrageous that such a earthshattering decision has been taken to supersede as many as 32 judges which include many chief justices, casting aspersion on their intellect, merit and integrity.”
On January 10, the top court collegium of five judges passed a resolution recommending names of justice Maheshwari and justice Khanna saying: “The Collegium is of the considered view that at present the following persons are more deserving and suitable in all respects than other Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges of High Courts, for being appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court”.
The recommendations created a flutter in the legal fraternity as the name of justice Dinesh Maheshwari was overlooked recently for elevation and justice Sanjeev Khanna is junior to many sitting Chief Justices and puisne judges of the high courts.
Objecting to the elevation of justice Maheshwari, Gambhir said: “It cannot be forgotten that just one-and-a-half months back the then collegium’s members superseded Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and now, out of the blue, he becomes more deserving and suitable in such a short gap”.