Justice Katju, the chairman of the Press Council of India, has alleged that the corrupt judge was allowed to continue in the Madras High Court because of pressure on then PM Manmohan Singh from a Tamil Nadu ally. (File photo)
Two senior judges are having a public spat over allegations that a corrupt judge was protected 10 years ago.
Former Chief Justice of India RC Lahoti today hit back at Justice Markandey Katju, who has accused him of helping a corrupt judge despite serious allegations against him.
"I don't believe in stooping to anyone's level. I have done nothing wrong. Please look up records and see for yourself," Justice Lahoti said, hours after Justice Katju posted a blog with six questions for him.
Justice Katju, the chairman of the Press Council of India, has alleged that the corrupt judge was allowed to continue in the Madras High Court because of pressure on then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from a Tamil Nadu ally.
He has accused Justice Lahoti of bowing to pressure from the ruling coalition and extending the two-year tenure of the judge despite adverse reports against him and a Supreme Court collegium recommending the opposite.
"Is it, or is it not, correct that after that recommendation of the three-Judge Collegium of the Supreme Court was sent to the Government of India, he (Justice Lahoti), on his own, without consulting his two other Supreme Court Collegium colleagues, wrote a letter to the Government of India asking the Government to give another one-year-term as additional judge to the concerned judge?" Justice Katju asked today in a blog.
Responding to Justice Lahoti's comment, Justice Katju said, "Justice Lahoti does not reply to any one of my six specific questions, but deliberately obfuscates."
Justice Katju was in 2004-05 the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
He alleges that an Intelligence Bureau investigation sought by him confirmed the charges against the accused judge, but Justice Lahoti and two other ex-Chief Justices of India, Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justice YK Sabharwal made "improper compromises" by refusing to end the term of the judge.
Meanwhile, speaking on Justice Katju's allegations, former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee told NDTV "can't ask questions to former chief justices, it brings down the institution."