Bombay High Court has accused Maharashtra Government of taking the 155-year-old institution for a ride.
The Bombay High Court has reprimanded the Maharashtra government, accusing it of taking the 155-year-old institution for a ride and misleading the chief justice, after the state government accused the bench of bias while hearing a petition on noise pollution rules.
The allegation was made in a letter to Chief Justice Manjula Chellur by Advocate General Kumbhakoni. The Maharashtra government has, however, apologised to the court and withdrawn the allegations.
xEarlier, Chief Justice Chellur had moved the case to another bench, before forming a full bench of three judges to hear the case.
The Advocates' Association of Western India's Managing Committee passed a resolution condemning the state government's move.
Meanwhile, senior lawyers backed the judge and criticized the state's actions. The Bombay Bar Association had also called for an extraordinary general meeting on August 28 to discuss the issue.
The three-judge bench has asked the government for a written apology in an affidavit from a senior official, mentioning the names of the people who had given instructions to the advocate general to make the allegations.
The state's action has damaged the reputation of the judiciary, the court observed.