The “letter” which has outraged Justice A R Lakhsmanan making him recuse himself from the case involving Mulayam Singh Yadav’s alleged assets threatens the judge and refers to a CD which was released by SP general secretary Amar Singh on March 1.

The CD released a few hours after the apex court had ordered the CBI to look into Yadav’s case allegedly recorded a conversation between the petitioner, Vishwanath Chaturvedi, who the SP accuses of being a “Congress worker,” and a reporter from Sahara TV.

Flanked by his party colleagues Jnaneshwar Mishra, Mulayam’s son Akhilesh Yadav, Jaya Bachchan and Jaya Prada, Amar Singh played a bit of the CD to the media in which Chaturvedi is purportedly heard saying:

“No, trust me, I don’t think he (Mulayam) can manage it this time. We are not some two-bit players either. If they think they are such big managers, we are bigger managers.”

Although that bit made no reference to a judge, Singh alleged that the petitioner, in the CD, was casting aspersions on the “judges of the very court he has appealed to.” Singh even named Justice Lakshmanan saying “we are confident that he is an upright and honest judge...” Singh said he got the CD, allegedly prepared by Sahara TV, as he has “had a long association with the Sahara Group.”

The letter, which claims to be the “fourth” says it is from a “well wisher who met you.” “We knew that you were not going to change whatever you have already done,” the letter says, “We thought you will dismiss the review petition of Mulayum Singh but you not only entertained the review petition but unusually you listed the matter in the open court. Though we respect you but we have all the details and facts of your all the activities....You don’t entertain this matter. Don’t fear that Amar Singh has shown CD to the Press...Please don’t order the investigation in this letter otherwise everything shall be investigated.”