Jethmalani says his document on CJI's age genuine

Jethmalani says his document on CJI's age genuine
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, Nov 23: Giving a new twist to the controversy over the age of Chief Justice of India A S Anand, former Law Minister Ram Jethmalani today maintained as genuine the document annexed to his book showing the CJI's year of birth as 1934 and called for a thorough probe to unravel the truth.

Referring to documents which clearly show that the CJI's date of birth was November 1, 1936, Jethmalani told a press conference "Unless there is some explanation of how and why the CJI declared his year of birth as 1934 in the form which was sent to the General Council of the bar, this matter will continue to agitate the minds of the people of this country."

However, he criticised the Chennai-based advocate, against whom the Supreme Court framed contempt charges two days back, for sending "an intemperate telegram to the CJI threatening him with criminal prosecution if he did not step down from the constitutional post.

Jethmalani said "the question before the apex court has nothing to do with the Chief Justice's age. The question there concerns the intemperate language used by the advocate".

The former Law Minister, who lost his job in the cabinet due to his "confrontation with the judiciary", has written a letter to Solicitor General Harish Salve, acting as the amicus curiae in the contempt case, saying "the matter is too complicated to be resolved without a proper investigation, interrogation and cross-examination."

Asked who could investigate into such a controversy, Jethmalani said "It could be the CBI, the President or the Judges of the apex court itself."

He said the Constitution prescribes of a mechanism to be set up only by Parliament to look into the controversies regarding the age of a Supreme Court judge, though for the same regarding a High Court judge the President was empowered.

"I will write to the Prime Minister about this lacuna and also raise the issue in Parliament for setting up of such a mechanism on the age of the Supreme Court judges," he said.

Referring to the document annexed in his book "Big Egos, Small Men", the former Law Minister in his letter to Salve said "the Bar Council has affirmed that annexure II to my book is a genuine document. To insinuate that it is forged or fabricated will be irresponsible and libellous."

When a reporter said "people think you have a bigger ego than the egos of the three people you have written about in your book," Jethmalani said, "When I am in public life, I am open to public criticism. If that is what you say, I will accept that as your view."

He said the document annexed with his book was a copy of the CD-ROM copy of the original application filled by Justice Anand in 1962 and added "the only honest and straightforward course is to approach the council in London and ask whether the document annexure II (in the book) is genuine or fabricated."