New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has intensified actions against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Shekhar Yadav, who is under scrutiny for his controversial comments on the Hindu-Muslim community during a public event. Reports indicate that the Supreme Court collegium has sought updates on the matter after Justice Yadav failed to issue an apology, reports the Hindustan.
The controversy stems from remarks Justice Yadav allegedly made at a Vishva Hindu Parishad programme. Following this, the CJI has written to Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Arun Bhansali, requesting a detailed report on the matter. This comes weeks after Justice Yadav’s explanation was sought during a December 17 meeting with the collegium.
According to reports, Justice Yadav remains firm on his stance and has not tendered an apology despite being questioned. His remarks have drawn widespread criticism and calls for accountability.
The case has brought to light the 1995 Supreme Court ruling in C Ravichandran Iyer vs Justice AM Bhattacharjee, which set a precedent for dealing with complaints against High Court judges. The ruling mandates that the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court must investigate such matters before consulting the CJI.
In a related development, Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the impeachment motion against Justice Yadav. The plea sought to prevent the Rajya Sabha Chairperson from taking further action on a proposal submitted by 55 MPs.
The court clarified that PILs are meant to address the grievances of marginalised groups, which was not applicable in this case. The petition was deemed non-maintainable as it fell outside the boundaries of public interest litigation guidelines.
