SC issues notices on irregular appt of judges

New Delhi, July 30: Taking serious note of irregularities in the appointment of high court judges, the Supreme Court today directed the Centre to file an affidevit within six weeks giving details of their appointments since 1999.

A bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice D K Jain directed the Centre to give details of the number of appointments made on the basis of recommendations of the Collegium and the number of appointments made on the basis of recommendations of Chief Justice of India alone.

The Court also sought details of number of additional judges appointed to different high courts and subsequently made permanent.

The Court also asked for details of the judges appointed despite rejection of their names by the Collegium.

Today's direction came on a PIL filed by former Union Minister and Senior Counsel Shanti Bhushan, who has challenged the appointment of Mr Ashok Kumar as the judge of Madras High Court, despite the rejection of his name by the Collgeium headed by then Chief Justice R C Lahoti and also by Justice Ruma Pal, who was the member of collegium.

The name of Mr Ashok kumar has been cleared by the present Chief Justice, K G balkrishnan, despite the rejection of the his name by the Collegium earlier.

Mr Shanti Bhushan contended before the Court that nobody can be appointed a high court judge in violation of the views of the collegium and any appointment disregarding the opinion of the collegium is illegal and the Chief Justice alone cannot make recommendations for appointment of a person as a high court judge without taking the collegium into confidence.

The Collegium comprises Chief Justice of India and at least 3 senior most judges of the Supreme Court and the opinion of the collegium is binding on the government so far as the appointment of high court and Supreme Court judges is concerned.

UNI