The Solicitor General of India (SG) Tushar Mehta said that the ongrowing trend of maligning the image of a judge for any adverse order being passed is sad for the judiciary. The SGI was speaking this while he was in Apex Court for some matter related to ED.
The SG, was representing the Enforcement Directorate in a case related to the Nagrik Apurti Nigam scam (NAN scam).
Mehta said that one order in a political matter against a section is enough to gather the NGOs who make speeches saying ‘we don’t trust this institution.
He sadly approached the issue saying that one order which is not to the liking of one section of society, articles are written maligning concerned judges.
He made these submissions before the bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli while he was talking on listing of the NAN scam case before Justice MR Shah’s bench
Previously, the case was being heard by then Chief Justice of India UU Lalit and Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice S Ravindra Bhat.
The Government of Chhattisgarh has put an objection to Justice Shah hearing the matter, and have asked the previous members Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice S Ravindra Bhat to hear the matter.
The multi-crore Public Distribution System scam from Chhattisgarh which was known as NAN scam came to light in 2015 when Economic Offences Investigation (EOI) and Anti-corruption Bureau, Raipur, Chhattisgarh conducted raids on February 12, 2015 in different district offices and residence of the officers of Chhattisgarh State Civil Supplies Corporation and Chhattisgarh State Warehousing Corporation .
Not only this, but also the headquarters at Raipur were also raided after which a case against the officers of the corporation was filed.
Those involved have been accused of supplying low quality rice, grams, salt etc.
The Enforcement Directorate had also registered a money laundering case against two IAS officers who were involved in this.
Later on the plea was moved seeking transfer of trial from Chhattisgarh alleging that a senior functionary of the government has been trying to weaken the predicate offence against the accused.
In the counter affidavit filed, the ED in alleged that the accused were in touch with a Chhattisgarh High Court judge through Constitutional functionaries who were helping the accused.
The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said that WhatsApp chats revealed connivance between accused IAS officers and those holding Constitutional posts.
Tushar Mehta had said that these highly placed officers in connivance with authorities in constitutional posts took advantage.
He had clearly never mentioned the names, but had WhatsApp chats. He had said that revealing names would shake the faith of people upon system.
During the last hearing, Mehta had alleged that the Chief Minister had met a Chhattisgarh High Court judge.
While the matter was up today for hearing, Kapil Sibal contested that claim.
Sibal said that we took instructions. The Chief Minister never met any High Court judge.
Tushar Mehta said that “I only read a Whatsapp chat where a close….”but he was not allowed any further.
The bench made it clear that it will not hear the case any further.