Nepotism in J&K HC? SC seeks CJ affidavit

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response affidavit from J&K HC, vetted solely by its Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal, as it smelt a rat from a PIL alleging blatant nepotism in giving backdoor entry to judges' kin as staff in the HC, subordinate courts, judicial academy and other legal offices in the UT.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hima Kohli in its order said, "The petitioner has levelled serious allegations on backdoor entry into administrative staff."
"A specific averment has been made in the PIL about relatives of existing members of the staff as well as present and former HC judges getting engaged as staff in the legal offices," the bench said while seeking the HC's response within six weeks.
Wanting to insulate the response from being influenced by other judges, the SC unprecedentedly ordered: "The HC shall file its counter affidavit in six weeks. The concerned registrar shall get the affidavit vetted by the chief justice alone."
The NGO 'J&K People's Forum' through its 73-year-old chief Syed Nassarullah Shah said from 2007 onwards all the appointments, either on ad hoc basis or through advertisements, smack of nepotism, leaving little room for general public to aspire for placement as staff in the HC, subordinate judiciary, state judicial academy and legal services authority.
"Two sons and a daughter of ex-president of the HC staff association came to be appointed; five close relations of retired Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani, several relations of retired judges - Mansoor Ahmad Mir, Nisar Ahmad Kakroo, M K Hanjoora - stand appointed. Wife of a chief judicial magistrate was similarly appointed... An orderly Ali Mohd Bhat got his all three sons recruited, and later, one of his grandsons was also appointed with the blessings of (politician) Hasnain Masoodi," it said.