Ker govt to file case against Cong MP for anti-judiciary

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Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 14 (PTI) Kerala''s Left frontGovernment today said a case will be registered againstCongress MP K Sudhakaran for his anti-judiciary remarks whilehis party distanced itself from the controversial statement.

Home Minister and senior CPI-M leader KodiyeriBalakrishnan said a case would be registered in connectionwith Sudhakaran''s speech in which he said he was witness to aSupreme Court judge being allegedly bribed about 15 years agoin connection with a bar license case.

Since the comment amounted to discrediting thejudiciary as a whole, the MP should specify the details of hisallegation and that he had a moral obligation to reveal thejudge''s identity, the minister said while slamming theCongress leader.

"We are seeing this as a serious problem. He haslevelled these allegations against a Supreme Court judge, Asan MP he has the obligation to reveal who the judge is, whenhe saw it and other further details," he said.

KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala told reporters thatthe Congress had always held the judiciary in high esteem andthat it waas of the firm view that a strong judiciary isessential for a healthy democracy.

"We always respect court verdicts. There were instancesof political parties expressing reservations over courtorders. However, this was not done with the intention ofmaligning the judiciary," he said.

Asked if there woud be disciplinary action against theMP, Chennithala said he would speak to Sudhakaran and find outwhat prompted him to make such a speech.

Virtually disapproving of Sudhakaran''s remarks,Opposition leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy saidhis stand had always been that there should not be any attemptfrom any quarter to question the judiciary''s credibility.

Former Chief Justice of India Justice V N Khare saidthe allegations are ridiculous, but should be probed and ifnot proved, then Sudhakaran should face legal proceedings.

While speaking at a public meeting organised atKottarakkara in Kollam district on Saturday, Sudhakaran hadsaid he was witness to a judge being bribed apparently forgetting a favourable decision in a case seeking restoration ofbar licences cancelled by the Kerala High Court.

A former state minister, who now represents Kannur inthe Lok Sabha, Sudhakaran made the charge without naming thejudge at the meeting organised by the supporters of KeralaCongress-B leader R Balakrishna Pillai, who was recentlysentenced to one year imprisonment by the Supreme Court in acorruption case.