SC judges against CJI: Top court split wide open

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra is no stranger to controversy. He has been part of several sensitive verdicts. The 45th CJI, who has a 13-month tenure till October 2, has been having a tough time in dealing with his colleagues. There have been serious disagreements between him and other senior judges and lawyers.

The medical college scam case is a case in point. He and advocate Prashant Bhushan had a heated exchange of words in a packed courtroom. CJI Misra had to hurriedly constitute a five-judge bench of his choice after a two-judge bench headed by Justice Chelameswar had ordered setting up of a five-judge bench of senior most judges to hear the petitions.

Justice Misra was elevated to the apex court bench on 10 October, 2011 from the Delhi High Court, where he was the Chief Justice Justice Misra, who was enrolled as an advocate in 1977, has practised in constitutional, civil, criminal, revenue, service and sales tax matters in the Orissa High Court and Tribunals before being elevated to the High Court bench.

He was appointed Additional Judge of the Orissa High Court in January 1996, after which he was transferred to the Madhya Pradesh High Court in March 1997.

In 2009, Justice Misra became the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court and assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in May 2010. He was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 10 October, 2011..

In 1979, he managed to acquire a lease for two acres of agricultural land from the Odisha government as a practicing advocate, which was later dismissed in 1985. In the affidavit, he had written that since he was a Brahmin by caste, “the extent of landed property held by me including all the members of my family is nil”.   

Misra’s name in the suicide letter of Kalikho Pul also raised several eyebrows. In a 60-page letter, Pul had named several sitting and retired former Supreme Court judges, and senior Congress politicians. Pul alleged that several judges have taken bribes in cases.  

(With PTI inputs)