More letters, another storm in Karnataka HC

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

Off-the-court battles in the Karnataka judicial circles seem to be getting increasingly personal, with an undated letter sent to the Chief Justice of India and other Supreme Court judges levelling charges against Justice D V Shylendra Kumar.

Meanwhile in Kochi, former Supreme Court Judge Justice V R Krishna Iyer wrote
to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to ensure that only some one with a clean record fill the vacancy of the Chief Justice of Kerala.

Curiously, the letter containing allegations against Justice Kumar was sent in the name of Y R Sadashiva Reddy, former chairman of the Karnataka State Bar Council and Muniyappa, former vice chairman of the Bar Council. Both are well known admirers of Justice Kumar and have been consistently demanding the resignation of Chief Justice P D Dinakaran.

Dinakaran, under a cloud over allegations of corruption, is being probed by an impeachment committee. Justice Kumar has been vocal about the need for Dinakaran to abstain from administrative duties.
The letter sent to the CJI and other SC judges, made certain allegations against Justice Kumar, which Express has chosen not to disclose due to their unsubstantiated nature and because of the fact that the signatories whose name appear on the letter have not only denied penning the allegations, but expressed shock and surprise over it.

Reddy and Muniyappa have sent a letter to the CJI and the judges of the Supreme Court and High Court, clarifying that they had not sent the original letter.

“We have hereby specifically made it clear that the said letter was not written by us and we have not signed the said letter. The said letter appears to be an intentional mischief attributing it to us (sic),” Reddy and Muniyappa said in the letter to the CJI, dated January 13. “The letter was intentionally sent to CJI and other judges in my name, because I had been demanding the resignation of Chief Justice Dinakaran,” Reddy told Express.

However, Justice Kumar declined comment. “A judge should talk only in the court hall and not to the media,” Justice Kumar told Express.

In his letter to the PM, former SC judge Justice Iyer asked Singh to ensure that the vacancy of Chief Justice of Kerala High Court is filled by a ‘fine robed brother’ and not by someone under a shadow. “But corruption and sexual proclivities are escalating amidst the robed brethren to a scandalous and shocking point. The Kerala Chief Justice is retiring in a few days time. He has a fine reputation and his successor must naturally be equally good and great,” he said.