Judges in various courts of the country have made controversial remarks. (Representational)
Days after Calcutta High Court judge Justice CS Karnan, who faces an arrest warrant for his controversial remarks, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Justice Karnan episode calls for a greater scrutiny of the judiciary. Justice Karnan became the first sitting High Court judge to be awarded a jail term for his defamatory remarks against the top court's collegium system. In the recent years, several other judges in various courts of the country have courted controversy with their statements. Recently, Rajasthan High Court judge Mahesh Chandra Sharma told reporters that peacock is a life-long brahmachari (celibate). The remark became the top trend on social media.
In 2009, Karnataka High Court judge DV Shylendra Kumar, in an article, wrote that the then Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan "is more like a serpent without fangs, who can only hiss, but not bite" for not making his assets public.
In September 2012, more than 500 people signed an online petition requesting the Chief Justice of India to take action against Karnataka High Court judge Justice Bhaktavatsala. According to reports, he had told a woman seeking divorce from her physically abusive husband, that all women suffer in marriages.
In May 2007, Justice Markandey Katju said "hang the corrupt to the lamp posts" while hearing a bail plea connected to the Bihar fodder scam.
During a hearing of the coal block allocation case in 2013, then Chief Justice of India RM Lodha observed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is like a "caged parrot speaking in its master's voice". Though Ranjit Sinha, who was heading the premier agency then, agreed with Justice Lodha, the Congress, who was at the Centre brushed them aside.
In 2009, Justice Markandey Katju rejected the plea of a Muslim student that he should be allowed to sport a beard in his convent school, saying, "Muslim students sporting beard would lead to Talibanisation of the country".
Justice Markandey Katju, in August 2014, objected to a Supreme Court judge's statement that Gita and Mahabharat should be taught in schools. "In a country of such diversity as ours, nothing of this kind should be compelled or imposed, as that is against our nation's secular feature and Constitution," Justice Katju said in a statement when he was the chairman of the Press Council of India.
In July 2015, the Madras High Court has recalled a controversial order by Justice P Devadass directing mediation between a rapist and his victim. Justice Devadass had granted bail to the man.
Last month, Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma, before retiring from the Rajasthan High Court, recommended that cow be declared the national animal.
Soon after, Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma said the peacock is a lifelong brahmachari (celibate). "It never has sex with the peahen. The peahen gets pregnant after swallowing the tears of the peacock," he told reporters.
Justice CS Karnan was held guilty of contempt by a seven-judge constitution bench of Supreme Court after he named 20 judges he said were "corrupt" earlier this year, and wrote to several people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking for an investigation.
(With inputs from PTI) Post a comment