Initiate action against 16 retired judges: HC

Mumbai, Sep 14 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today directed the ''concerned authority'' to take action against 16 retired judges for for not moving out of their offical residences despite vacating office and to recover outstanding rent from them within one month.

A division bench comprising Justices R M Lodha and S A Bobde directed the ''concerned authority'' to take appropriate action against erring judges.

The HC has directed them to recover money as well as get six judges to vacate the official residences too in one month.

Of the remaining judges, a judicial officer whose period of occupancy ended on June 20 should vacate the accomodation. The court also sought an explanation from Principal Judge for granting extension to a city civil sessions judge who had retired nine years ago, besides recovering Rs 4 lakh from him. Another judge who had extended his stay by three years owed Rs 1.37 lakh should be recovered.

The court directed the Registrar General to take appropriate action against a judge from Mumbai who had been posted to Nashik to vacate the official residence in Mumbai, by bringing the issue before the Chief Justice. Four more judges of whom two had vacated owed Rs 55,000 respectively and were to be issued notices to vacate the accomodation. The last judge, who had again occupied accomodations in Mumbai and Nasik was officially in Nasik on appointment and was transfered to a Naxalite affected area therefore was allowed to keep the Nasik accomodation while he had to vacate the one in Mumbai.

The court had taken up this matter suo moto after the MBPT Workers Union had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that one District Judge A A Laad had retired and was appointed as a Labour Court Judge by the Union Government but had not vacated his previous official residence. The court was also informed today that Mr Laad had vacated the official residence allotted to him while he was District Court Judge and Rs 84,000 was also recovered from him.

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