NEW DELHI: Critiqued by Supreme Court on Tuesday for breaching fairness norms, Justice L Narasimha Reddy declined to continue as the one-man commission to inquire into alleged power sector irregularities caused by K Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government. Telangana government said it will notify a new chairperson by Monday, reports .
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra agreed with KCR‘s counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, that Justice Reddy gave away his predisposed mind by commenting in a June 16 press conference about loss caused to the exchequer, an issue he was to inquire into.
“What crime has KCR committed to face such political vendetta? The whole commission of inquiry reeks of political vendetta. What fairness does he expect from the inquiry commission when the retired judge has already made up his mind and made comments about findings even before KCR has put in his reply,” Rohatgi asked.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, who defended the appointment of the CoI by the Revanth Reddy govt, strongly rebutted Rohatgi’s submissions and said the CoI’s findings would be recommendatory in nature and the entire gamut of civil and criminal law remedies will be open for the ex-CM to challenge the findings. “At worst, Justice Reddy could be said to have been quirky but that does not mean the CoI, appointed to look into documents reflecting glaring irregularities, should be derailed,” he said.
Appearing for Justice Reddy, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan informed the court that the retired judge has sent a communication expressing his desire to recuse from the CoI.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra agreed with KCR‘s counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, that Justice Reddy gave away his predisposed mind by commenting in a June 16 press conference about loss caused to the exchequer, an issue he was to inquire into.
“What crime has KCR committed to face such political vendetta? The whole commission of inquiry reeks of political vendetta. What fairness does he expect from the inquiry commission when the retired judge has already made up his mind and made comments about findings even before KCR has put in his reply,” Rohatgi asked.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, who defended the appointment of the CoI by the Revanth Reddy govt, strongly rebutted Rohatgi’s submissions and said the CoI’s findings would be recommendatory in nature and the entire gamut of civil and criminal law remedies will be open for the ex-CM to challenge the findings. “At worst, Justice Reddy could be said to have been quirky but that does not mean the CoI, appointed to look into documents reflecting glaring irregularities, should be derailed,” he said.
Appearing for Justice Reddy, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan informed the court that the retired judge has sent a communication expressing his desire to recuse from the CoI.
