Launching another salvo against former Chief Justice of India RC Lahoti, Press Council of India chairman Markandey Katju on Tuesday posed six direct questions to him pertaining to the appointment of a corrupt judge of the Madras high court.
Recounting his communication to the then CJI Lahoti, Katju, who was chief justice of Madras high court at that time, claimed that he had asked CJI to get a secrete IB inquiry done against the judge.
"Is it , or is it not, correct that I first wrote him a letter from Chennai, stating that there were serious allegations of corruption about.... and thereafter I personally met him at Delhi and requested for a secret IB inquiry against the judge about whom I had received several complaints that he was indulging in corruption," Justice Katju asked in his blog.
Justice Katju has stirred a hornet's nest with his startling revelations about corruption in judiciary alleging that three former chief justices had compromised judicial independence and succumbed to the executive pressure by allowing a district judge in Tamil Nadu to be elevated to an additional judge of the high court despite charges of corruption against him.
Justice Lahoti remained tightlipped about Justice Katju's slew of queries to him except saying, "Whatever I have done is right. I have not done anything wrong in my life. All the facts and supporting documents and reasons are matter of record. I don't want to add anything or reduce anything."
Other queries of Justice Katju include whether on his request, Justice Lahoti had ordered for a secret IB inquiry against that corrupt judge? He claimed that after his personal meeting with Justice Lahoti in Delhi, he had received a call from him and was informed that the IB, after thorough inquiry, gave report that indeed the Judge was indulging in corruption.
In addition, he sought an answer from Justice Lahoti as to whether after receiving the adverse IB report against the judge, he had called a meeting of three Supreme Court collegium judges including himself and justices YK Sabarwal and Ruma Pal who had recommended to the Central government not to extend the two year term of the judge.
He also raised question that without consulting all collegium judges, why Justice Lahoti had written a letter to the government seeking another year term extension to the judge.
"If indeed the IB reported, after an inquiry, that the Judge was indulging in corruption, why did he ( Justice Lahoti) recommend to the Government of India to give that corrupt judge another term of a year as additional judge in the high court.
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