Kolkata:
Justice Soumitra Sen may be making history as only the second judge on his way to impeachment but he still enjoys a big salary. Despite being indicted many times for corruption, the judge has comfortably managed to exploit the loopholes in the system.
Excluding allowances and perks for fuel, attendants, house rent, phone and medical bills, Justice Sen's salary today stands at Rs 80,000 per month. That means roughly Rs 160,000 a month. And this after hearing no cases since the year 2006 when the first adverse order against Justice Sen was issued.
Justice Soumitra Sen was twice asked to resign or seek voluntary retirement but to everyone's surprise he refused making impeachment the only way out.
The first time Justice Sen was asked to put in his papers was in February 2008 by a 3-member committee of senior judges constituted by the Chief Justice of India. But Sen asked the Chief Justice to reconsider the decision and also sought a personal hearing.
Weeks later, the Collegium led by the Chief Justice heard Sen and again advised him to quit by April 2 2008.
But in a letter dated March 26, Justice Sen refused to oblige prompting the Chief Justice to write to the Prime Minister.
Those who know Sen have refused to comment on record on the fact that Sen has not done any work for the last four years but drawn full salary and perks.
However, after the impeachment being announced, Sen, who used to drop in at his chamber at the Calcutta High Court regularly, hasn't done so since the court reopened after puja vacations.