Row over Karnataka HC judge hots up

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, in a letter to the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, has questioned if the Supreme Court collegium should recommend a person facing charges of sexual harassment to the post of a High Court judge in the absence of a “fair and judicious probe.”

In what seems to be a hardening of its position over the issue of elevating a Principal District and Sessions judge as a judge of the High Court, Mr. Prasad is reported to have questioned the probe that cleared the district judge.

“Whether we should consider a discreet enquiry, even by a High Court Chief justice, as a fair, sufficient and conclusive enquiry,” the Law Minister asked in his letter regarding the probe that cleared Mr. P.K. Bhat of charges of sexual harassment filed by a subordinate woman judicial officer. Mr. Bhat has been recommended as a High Court judge by the Supreme Court Collegium in August 2016.

High class probe

The Law Minister’s letter to the CJI comes just days after Justice Jasti Chelameswar had written to CJI Misra alleging government interference in judicial appointments and blaming the government for stalling Mr. Bhat’s elevation as a High Court judge even after a “discreet probe” by the Karnataka High Court absolved him of all charges.

Justice Chelameswar had also questioned if it was proper for the Law Ministry to directly write to the present Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court for a fresh probe into the charges bypassing the Collegium.