[ THE HINDU – 13/12/2008]
Three-judge panel submits report to CJI
New Delhi (PTI): A three-judge Committee formed to probe the 'cash-at-judge door' scam in Chandigarh has submitted its report to Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan.
A Committee comprising Justice Hemant Lakshman Gokhale (Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court), Justice K S Radhakrishnan (Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court) and Justice Madan B Lokur (Delhi High Court) submitted the report after holding the inquiry for three-and half months.
The scam came to light in August this year when Rs. 15 lakh was taken by the clerk of a senior Haryana law officer to the residence of a judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Nirmaljit Singh Kaur.
Later it turned out that the money was meant for another judge.
Justice Nirmal Yadav of the Punjab and Haryana High Court later recused from judicial work after her name surfaced during the interrogation of the three accused in connection with the case. She is now now on leave.
Subsequently, Punjab Governor S F R Rodrigues, who is also Chandigarh Administrator General, recommended a CBI probe into the scam after consultations with High Court Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur.
The CJI had constituted the committee comprising two chief justices and a judge of the High Court as he felt that deeper probe was needed into the alleged scam.
The CJI, on the basis of the report, can ask the judge concerned to resign or withdraw judicial work and recommend to Prime Minister and President for the impeachment.
On August 13, the clerk of the then Additional Advocate General of Haryana Sanjiv Bansal, had delivered Rs 15 lakh at the residence of Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, who had immediately informed the Chandigarh Police.
