Strongly disapproving a TV reporter's sting operation, purportedly aimed at exposing "corruption in judiciary", the SC asked him to file a fresh affidavit
NEW DELHI: Strongly disapproving a TV reporter's sting operation, purportedly aimed at exposing "corruption in judiciary", the Supreme Court on Thursday asked him to file a fresh affidavit substantiating his claim of genuine intentions in conducting the purported expose.
Dissatisfied by journalist Vijay Shekhar's earlier affidavit, a bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan asked him to file a "better affidavit" proving his bona fide and claim of public interest to be eligible for the pardon by the court for an act which, it said, had ended up scandalising the judiciary.
To prove his allegation of rampant corruption in the judiciary, the scribe had in 2004 got issued warrants against then president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, then chief justice V.N. Khare and apex court judge B.P Singh from an Ahmedabad court by paying Rs.40,000.
Before airing the news report on his sting operation on Zee news channel, the scribe had moved the apex court seeking its permission for the same.
The apex court had then ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the matter. During the probe, the investigating agency found that the magistrate was not at fault in issuing the warrants as the journalist had not named the three people in a proper and transparent manner and had obfuscated their identity.
Additionally, he had also got the warrants issued on false and fictitious complaints, with the magistrate passing the order to issue the warrants in a routine manner after verification of the complaints by his staffers.
Sternly rejecting the argument by Shekhar's counsel, former union law minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley that his client merely wanted to expose corruption in the judiciary, the chief justice Monday said: "The whole perception of this gentleman is absolutely wrong. It is not happening."
Referring to his tenure in various high courts, the chief justice observed that he never came across any such case earlier.
The bench sounded quite critical of the sting operation saying that it sent a message to the whole world that entire judiciary of the country was corrupt.
As Jaitley sought to draw a parallel between sting operations against the judiciary and those targeting politicians, the bench dismissed the contention saying, "don't compare judiciary with politicians".
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}