SC judge gets anonymous letter asking him to recuse in case

New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI) Supreme Court Judge B SudershanReddy, who is hearing a case relating anti-Maoist vigilantegroup Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh, today said he got ananonymous letter seeking his recusal from hearing the matterbecause of his previous association with an NGO.

"I got a letter. It says how can I hear the case as I wasa member of People''s Union of Civil Liberty (PUCL)," JusticeReddy said while reading out the letter in the open court.

He said he was a member of PUCL in 1975-77 and the NGOhas also filed an impleadment application in the case.

Advocate Atul Jha, appearing for Chhattisgarh government,said the application had been dismissed earlier and insistedthat the judge should not rescuse himself from the case.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by sociologist NandiniSundar, historian Ramchandra Guha, former bureaucrat E A SSarma and others seeking a direction to the state governmentto refrain from allegedly supporting Salwa Judum.

On the insistence of all parties concerned, JusticeReddy agreed to hear the case.