New Delhi:
Two days after Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court sent in his resignation to President Pratibha Patil, sources say his resignation has been accepted.
Justice Sen is facing impeachment proceedings on charges of financial misconduct. The Rajya Sabha had voted in favour of his impeachment a few weeks ago.
Sources say impeachment proceedings against him will continue on Monday in the Lok Sabha.
The judge had, on Thursday, faxed his resignation to the President and sent a copy to the Lok Sabha speaker, Meira Kumar. However, the Attorney General has advised that the impeachment process should not be abandoned. So the Lok Sabha will debate the charges against Justice Sen and then vote on whether to impeach him.
Sources say Justice Sen will not defend himself, or depute a lawyer to represent him.
Justice Sen, who is with the Calcutta High Court, has said he is innocent. His resignation was seen as an attempt to avoid becoming the first judge to be impeached by Parliament.
Justice Sen has been accused of misappropriating 33 lakhs in 1983 when he was made a receiver of the court. He did not disclose this when he was made a judge in 2003. He was ordered to return the money with interest in 2006 by the Calcutta High Court. In 2008, then Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan asked him to quit, but he refused.