While Union Law Minister H R Bhardwaj said today the government could bring an impeachment motion against Justice Soumitra Sen of the Kolkata High Court in the next session of Parliament, the judge said he had a right to defend himself and that he be treated in a “humane manner.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, which first reported the Chief Justice of India’s impeachment proposal today, Justice Sen said: “My mother is 80 and a widow. She is in bed with a serious injury. It’s my duty first to cure her from the illness. I have not informed her about this news yet. For more than a year, I have not been allotted any bench. I am in a critical situation, everything should be considered in a humane manner.”

Before the CJI’s letter to the PM, sources said, it was “politely suggested” to the judge that he quit but he didn’t claiming innocence. Sen’s “misconduct” refers to a 1993 case when, as court-appointed receiver, he appropriated Rs 32 lakh into his personal account when it should have been deposited in a bank account of his choice for safe custody. He retained the money even after becoming a judge and paid up Rs 52 lakh in 2006 only when the court issued an order.