Updated: October 11, 2020 7:44:39 am
Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy and Justice NV Ramana
In an unprecedented move, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has written to Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, alleging that Justice NV Ramana, next in line to be the CJI, “has been influencing the sessions of the High Court (of Andhra Pradesh) Court, including the list of some honorable judges ”.
The eight-page letter from the Chief Minister refers to the alleged “proximity” of Judge Ramana to the TDP leader and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and to an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Office into “questionable land transactions” involving two daughters. of Judge Ramana and others in Amaravati, before the site of the new state capital was declared.
Dated October 6, the letter was delivered to the media in Hyderabad on Saturday evening by Ajeya Kallam, Senior Advisor to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
The Sunday Express approached the Secretary General of the Supreme Court for comment, but there was no response.
Last month, Justice Ramana, speaking at a book launch by former Supreme Court Justice R. Banumathi, said: “As judges are limited to speaking in their own defense, they are now being interpreted as white easy for criticism. This problem is further complicated by the proliferation of social media and technology, in which judges are becoming the victims of juicy gossip and defamatory posts on social media. “
In his letter, the Chief Minister has mentioned “examples of how matters important to the Telugu Desam Party have been assigned to a few Honorable Judges”, and has detailed this in an annex.
The letter says that “since the YSR Congress Party gained power in May 2019 and ordered the investigation of all deals made by the N Chandrababu Naidu regime from June 2014 to May 2019, Judge NV Ramana began to influence the course of the administration of justice in the state. “
The Chief Minister alleged that the High Court suspended investigations into the land transactions of the former state attorney general, Dammalapati Srinivas, even though the Anti-Corruption Office registered an FIR against him.
“The complaint of fraud and investigation of crimes is suspended on the basis that the defendant returns the money involved in the transaction. All judicial precedents and elementary principles of jurisprudence are violated by such orders, with a view to protecting the interests of the members of the TDP, ” the CM stated in its letter.
On September 15, the High Court blocked the media from reporting on the details of the FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Office against the former General Counsel in connection with the purchase of land in Amaravati.
“By way of provisional measures, it is ordered that no coercive measures will be taken in support of (the FIR) that has been registered after the presentation of this order petition against any of the accused. The inquiry, investigation, is also suspended. Furthermore, it is indicated that the news regarding (the FIR, details withheld by court order) … will not be made public in any electronic, printed or social media, to impose the office of a former General Counsel and also regarding the other alleged defendants, ” read the order of Chief Justice JK Maheshwari.
The Chief Minister’s letter refers to this order from the Supreme Court: “Although the Supreme Court has been firm in ensuring that there are no restrictions prior to publication by the media, a gag order is approved in the media.”
He has urged the CJI to “consider the possibility of initiating the steps deemed opportune and adequate to ensure that the neutrality of the State Judiciary is maintained.
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