The Supreme Court is scheduled to meet for a special hearing tomorrow after taking suo motu cognizance of the serious allegations made by Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay against his colleague Justice Soumen Sen.
In an unusual turn of events, Justice Gangopadhyay accused Justice Sen, who was presiding over the division bench, of being associated with a political party. The allegation arose after Justice Sen stayed a single-judge order, issued by Justice Gangopadhyay, calling for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in medical income.
Despite this stay, Justice Gangopadhyay returned to the case and ordered the CBI to start an investigation. His subsequent order not only disregarded the Division Bench decision but also urged the Supreme Court to re-examine Justice Sen’s previous orders, accusing him of working for a political party.
“Justice Sen is working for some political party in this state. So if the Hon’ble Supreme Court thinks so, then there is a need to re-look at the orders passed in state-related cases. What Justice Sen has done today is to further his interest in saving some political parties in power in this state. Therefore, his actions amount to misconduct,” Justice Gangopadhyay observed.
Justice Gangopadhyay raised questions about Justice Sena’s continued presence in the Calcutta High Court and highlighted the Supreme Court collegium’s recommendation to transfer him in 2021, which has not been implemented.
In a startling revelation, Justice Gangopadhyay revealed an alleged private chat between judges and claimed that Justice Sen had advised Justice Amrita Sinha not to interfere with Abhishek Banerjee’s political future. Justice Sinha reported the incident to the Calcutta High Court, which then informed the Chief Justice of India, according to Justice Gangopadhyay.
It is worth noting that Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had previously faced reprimands from the Supreme Court for hearing cases with the press. His statements, often seen as political, drew criticism when the Trinamool Congress demanded his resignation from the judiciary to pursue politics.
In a special hearing scheduled for 10:30 am, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and four other senior judges will deal with these complex and controversial allegations among judges of the Calcutta High Court.
Image Source: The Hindu
