Supreme Court irked by senior lawyer’s remark in Justice Loya case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday took exception to a remark by senior lawyer Dushyant Dave that the judges were posing searching questions only to those who brought the B H Loya death case before it and not to the Maharashtra government.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said that judges were guided by their conscience and heart in delivering justice and they did not need any certificate from anyone.

The strong remarks came when Dave said the court was not asking senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Maharashtra, questions when he was arguing and he had to face all the queries.Judge Loya was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh shoot-out case in which Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah was an accused. Shah was later discharged.

Dave told the bench that the Maharashtra government had not assisted the court in the manner it should have done and said that the probe was carried out in a hasty manner only to pre-empt any other investigation in the matter.

The Centre for Public Interest Litigation, through advocate Prashant Bhushan, had disputed the Maharashtra government’s report saying Judge Loya died of a heart attack.