The President of India APJ Abdul kalam has stalled the appointment of Justice Jagdish Bhalla, a judge of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court as chief justice of Kerala High Court. The President has raised questions about corruption charges labeled on the judge during his tenure.
Earlier, Jagdish Bhalla had faced corruption charges over the Reliance Energy plant coming up in Dadri near Delhi. The CNN IBN has reported that Bhalla is alleged to have ordered to establish a special bench to hear a petition filed by Reliance Energy.
As par the rule, the judge’s jurisdiction does not go to Dadri because he heads the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.
Further, the writ petition submitted to the bench did not have a number that is considered as mandatory. The counsel chosen for Reliance Energy in this case was Justice Bhalla’s son, Aarohi Bhalla.
The member of the Commitee on Judicial Accountability, Prashant Bhushan has said that Bhalla constituted a bench in this matter at midnight at the residence of one of the judges. Later, the bench gave order in favor of Reliance.
On the basis of that decision, the police came and beat up the villagers on the sopt. The police even prevented VP Singh from reaching the spot.
Now, the President has returned his promotion file unsigned to the Prime Minister’s Office. The Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has also sent a file to Union Law Minister in this matter.
On the other hand, the UP Bar Council has termed it as a conspiracy against Justice Bhalla.
Chairman, UP Bar Council, Ajay Yadav said;
Some Supreme Court advocates don’t want Justice Bhalla elevated to the Supreme Court and this is a conspiracy hatched by them against him.
Now, according to the constitution, even the President cannot really stop Justice Bhalla’s appointment to the Kerala High court as chief Justice.
If the Supreme Court collegium returns the corruption charges file to back to Kalam without any changes he will have no option but to sign it.
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