New Delhi: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Monday condemned the vilification of senior-most apex court judge Justice D Y Chandrachud and termed the allegation of misuse of office against him as an attempt to malign his image while he is being considered for elevation as the CJI.
The SCBA, led by its president Vikas Singh, deprecated the attempt of a person, who claims to be the chief of the so-called 'Supreme Court and High Court Litigant Association', for lodging a complaint with the President of India and others against Chandrachud, the senior-most Judge of the Supreme Court, widely tipped to be the 50th CJI when incumbent UU Lalit retires on November 8.
The executive committee of the SCBA unanimously resolved to strongly condemn the vilification of Hon'ble Dr Justice D Y Chandrachud, judge, Supreme Court of India, to malign his image, while he is being considered for an important assignment of the Chief Justice of India, the bar body said. It said the complaint appears prima facie false and made deliberately at a time when he is being considered for such an appointment, especially when the facts narrated in the complaint are 11 months old.
The person making the said complaint has a very low credibility and is in a habit of making reckless allegations against the important constitutional functionaries in the past also, it said. The executive committee of the SCBA strongly deprecates such attempt, it said. In our view, this complaint should not be given any credence by any authority and stringent action should be taken against this unscrupulous person, the statement issued by SCBA secretary Rahul Kaushik said.
Earlier, the Bar Council of India had said the country and the Bar have complete faith in Justice Chandrachud following the complaint of alleged misuse of office against him, and condemned the "deliberate attempt to malign Indian judiciary". The BCI statement had said, "A post and letter of R K Pathan is being made viral by a few people (in which, we know that 2-3 Advocates of Mumbai are also there) deliberately on the eve of Justice Chandrachud's elevation as the Chief Justice of India."
The Bar Council of India, through its chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, had said it has thoroughly examined the contents of the 165-page letter and found it nothing but a "scurrilous and malicious attempt" to interfere with the functioning of the Judiciary and administration of Justice. "The country and the Indian Bar has complete faith in Justice DY Chandrachud. Justice DY Chandrachud is an asset for the world's Judiciary and is known for his knowledge, honesty and integrity; but, surprisingly even such popular Judges are being attacked," it had said. (PTI)
