Supreme Court judge asks CJI to convene full court on Centre's interference

Supreme Court

Senior-most Supreme Court judge, Justice J Chelameswar, has shot off a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) asking him to consider convening a full court to take up the issue of alleged executive interference in judiciary.

Justice Chelameswar, in his letter written on March 21, cautioned that "the bonhomie between the judiciary and the government in any state sounds the death knell to democracy". The unprecedent letter, copies of which were also sent to 22 other apex court judges, has questioned the probe initiated by Karnataka HC Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari against District and Sessions Judge Krishna Bhat at the instance of Union Ministry of Law and Justice, despite his name being recommended for elevation twice.

"Someone from Bangalore has already beaten us in the race to the bottom. The Chief Justice of Karnataka HC is more than willing to do the Executive bidding, behind our back," Justice Chelameswar wrote. He also said, "We, the judges of the Supreme Court of India, are being accused of ceding our independence and our institutional integrity to the Executive's incremental encroachment.

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