New Delhi: Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha making it clear on Tuesday that segregation of his name was done “unilaterally” by the executive which he said was “not proper”.
While breaking his silence in a function, he said, “The first thing I had taken objection to was the segregation of Gopal Subramanium’s file unilaterally by the executive. It is not proper.”
Justice Lodha asserted that independence of judiciary was of utmost importance to him and told the lawyers at the function that “don’t get the impression that independence of judiciary was compromised”.
He said, “I promise 1.2 billion people of India that independence of judiciary will not be compromised. I will be the first person to leave this chair if judiciary’s independence is compromised.”
He was speaking at a function to bid farewell to Justice B.S. Chauhan who demitted office today on attaining the age of superannuation.
Justice Lodha also expressed his disappointment over Subramanium going public with his grievances when he was abroad.
He said, “I came back on June 28 and had a meeting with Subramanium asking him to reconsider (his decision to withdraw consent for being appointed as judge). He replied the next day with a six-line letter expressing his decision (withdrawal of his consent) that he cannot go back on it. Again after a few days when the Chief Justice talked to him once more, Subramanium reiterated his decision.”
Justice Lodha said, “On June 29 when he wrote a letter reiterating his position, I was left with no choice but to recall the proposal (recommending Subramanium’s name for appointment as judge).”
Chief justice of Calcutta High Court Arun Mishra, Chief justice of Orissa High Court Adarsh Goel and eminent lawyer Rohinton Nariman were the other three names recommended by the collegium which the government accepted.
Bureau Report
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