Tears in eyes,SC raps judge for total defiance

Reprimanding Justice D V Shylendra Kumar of the Karnataka High Court for overstepping judicial discipline,the Supreme Court ...

Reprimanding Justice D V Shylendra Kumar of the Karnataka High Court for overstepping judicial discipline,the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed interim orders passed by him against some administrative decisions of Chief Justice P D Dinakaran.

I am part of the system and I have tears in my eyes, said Justice Deepak Verma,ruling along with K S Radhakrishnan that orders passed by the bench headed by Justice Kumar were in complete defiance of the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.

Lending support to Justice Dinakaran,the court said that though he was not taking up judicial matters,for all practical purposes,he was the Chief Justice and it is his exclusive prerogative to take administrative decisions,including the composition of benches,rosters and allocation of work.

Story continues below this ad

The vacation bench also ordered that since the matter pertained to judicial discipline,we direct the Secretary General of this court to bring it to the notice of the Chief Justice of India.

The said orders/directions (by a bench headed by Justice Kumar) are in complete defiance of the 1998 judgment of this court, the bench observed,referring to the verdict that laid down guidelines for conduct of judges in judicial matters.

Justice Dinakaran,who has been facing allegations of corruption and land grabbing,has been targeted by Justice Kumar in some of his orders as well as his prolific blogs. On Monday,the Karnataka High Court approached the Supreme Court against Justice Kumar for berating Justice Dinakaran by using intemperate language.

While hearing a tax/customs matter,a division bench of Justices Kumar and N Ananda had questioned the administrative decisions taken by Justice Dinakaran.

Story continues below this ad

While staying the orders,the Supreme Court Bench clarified that its Tuesdays direction will not preclude the High Court division Bench from hearing the matter on merit.