After 3 days, SC judges row remains unresolved
JUDICIAL RIFT Though AG and BCI claim matter has been settled, sources said the CJI and revolting judges did not speak on the matter NEW DELHI It was an internal issue, and as you can see that the matter has been laid to rest and all courtrooms in the Supreme Court are functioning normally MANAN KUMAR MISHRA,
BCI chairman
: Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and the four Supreme Court judges who virtually rose in revolt against him had not spoken to each other, sources in the court said on Monday, the day the Bar Council of India claimed the crisis had blown over.
Though the four judges were back at work and met other SC colleagues over tea, there was no interaction with the CJI, persons in know of things said.
The BCI, a regulatory body for legal profession in the country, had on Sunday sent a seven-member delegation to the CJI and the other judges to defuse Indian judiciary’s worst crisis. Several formers judges, too, stepped in.
“It was an internal issue, and as you can see that the matter has been laid to rest and all courtrooms in the Supreme Court are functioning normally” BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, who led the delegation, said.
Attorney general for India KK Venugopal, too, told media that “now everything has been settled. The courts are functioning. It was a storm in a tea cup.”
In an unprecedented move, four Supreme Court judges held a press conference on December 12, questioning the CJI over allocation of cases and procedure of judicial appointments.
The BCI had termed the press conference an unfortunate development.
“We met around 15 judges yesterday (Sunday) and all of them said that BCI has done a very good job and this mediation was required. They have now resolved the issue,” Mishra said.
“No outside interference was required in the matter and even we will not impose any condition on them and they themselves would solve their differences over a cup of tea.”
During the day, an advocate, RP Luthara, sought action against the four judges as he appeared in front of a bench led by the CJI as he argued a case.
After prodding by other judges on the bench, the CJI heard Luthara out but refused to say anything.
Luthara has filed a petition for the early implementation of the memorandum of procedure (MoP) for the appointment of judges.His name cropped up in a letter the four judges released after their press meet. In their letter addressed to the CJI, the four judges raised the issue of MoP case being referred to a bench other than the Constitution bench, which is a larger bench.