More hurdles for gay lawyer Saurabh Kirpal: Centre asks SC Collegium to ‘reconsider’ his elevation

After his allegations against the government, the Centre has asked the Supreme Court Collegium to reconsider the elevation of openly gay lawyer Saurabh Kirpal, who had earlier alleged that he was not being promoted due to his sexual orientation.

In its more recent move, the government asked the SC Collegium to reconsider 20 files related to the appointment of high court judges, including that of advocate Saurabh Kirpal who has candidly spoken about his gay status.

The Centre decided to send back the files of 20 cases, including that of the openly gay lawyer, saying that it had “strong reservations” about the recommended names for elevation as a Supreme Court of a High Court judge in the near future.

Kirpal's name was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by then Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana, for elevation as a Delhi High Court judge. Saurabh Kirpal is the son of former CJI B N Kirpal.

According to reports, the elevation of Saurabh Kirpal as a Delhi High Court judge has been deferred three times despite recommendations from the top administration. Kirpal has alleged that the reason behind this is his sexual orientation.

While speaking to NDTV recently, Saurabh Kirpal said that his promotion to the post of a High Court judge has been stopped because he is openly gay.

The government has returned all the names related to fresh appointments in various high courts on which it had "differences" with the Supreme Court Collegium, the sources said.

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed anguish over the delay by the Centre in clearing the names recommended by the collegium for appointment as judges in the higher judiciary, saying it "effectively frustrates" the method of appointment.

Meanwhile, the Centre has dismissed the allegations of not promoting Kirpal because of his sexual orientation but expressed concerns that his European partner can be a “security risk” because of sensitive information.

(With PTI inputs)

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