SC sets aside HC order on district judge

Mysuru: Retired police officer and advocate R Girijesh has hailed the Supreme Court’s order setting aside a Karnataka high court directive to send the then Mysuru additional district and session judge for training at judicial academy and expunged observation made against the complainant judge.
While disposing of a criminal petition through its order in February 2022 with regard to cancellation of bail granted to an accused, the high court had made some observations on the manner in which the Mysuru judge had exercised her discretion. The high court had also reached a conclusion to post the judge for training.
The judge, who is currently posted in Belagavi, had knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court against the directive in early 2022 and got an interim stay. The SC heard the case last week and passed an order stating that such observation and direction by the high court was not justified.
Girijesh said the HC had directed additional district and sessions judge Ashvini Vijay Shiriyannavar to undergo training, asking her to carefully use discretionary powers in granting bail. “Without hearing the judge, passing an order is opposed to natural justice and biased,” said Girijesh. “The judge, based on her judicial discretion and available prima facie evidence, had granted bail,” he said. tnn