Attorney General K.K. Venugopal urges Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to give pleas a hearing, says ‘dismissed’ doesn’t do justice to petitioners.
New Delhi: Attorney General of India K.K. Venugopal Monday expressed his distress at Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi’s ‘swift dismissal’ of certain cases.
“People come here from very far and stand in a queue… Give them a hearing,” Venugopal said. “You dismiss it (plea) with the presumption that the file has been read but this is not justice being done,” Venugopal said.
“My lord simply saying ‘dismissed’ doesn’t do justice to them and the lawyers,” he added.
The top law officer was representing the state of Rajasthan in a tax appeal matter in the Supreme Court. The state had challenged a high court order.
Sensing that the mood of the bench was veering towards a dismissal, Venugopal said, “Why is the court hesitant to hear our matter?”
The CJI responded: “We take your criticism in the right spirit, tell us what your matter is.”
Also read: Top court declines early hearing of pleas in Ayodhya title dispute case
Known for quick redressal of cases
Justice Gogoi is known for his quick redressal of cases — the chief justice dealt with at least 46 matters before rising for the day by noontime Monday. Before Venugopal’s matter was called out, the chief justice-led bench had already dismissed three PILs in quick succession.
One of those was a PIL filed by BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay who sought the imposition of Rs 2,000 as the upper limit on cash donations to political parties. “If your client files one more improper PIL, we will ban him,” the top court told senior advocate Sajjan Poovaiyya, who was representing Upadhyay.
“With all sense of responsibility, why should we get into it? Is it our domain? Just look at your prayers,” the chief had said.
The top court also trashed a PIL that sought monthly reports from the prime minister, his council of ministers and chief ministers of state.
“What kinds of a PIL is this? Which registrar of this court permitted you to file such a petition?” the CJI said.
Also read: No time to waste, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi begins first day with a bang
By the rulebook
Known to be a disciplinarian, Justice Gogoi also refuses to entertain delays in court. In October, soon after being sworn in as the 46th Chief Justice of India, Gogoi began his tenure with a bang.
His mantra seems to be ‘waste no time’, as he changed the convention of cases being ‘mentioned’ before the CJI every morning “No mentioning! We are working out the parameters. If someone is being released today, then yes, if someone is being hanged, then yes,” he said.
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist,Barnala (Punjab)
Justice Ranjan Gogoi is the Chief Justice of India with a Difference ! Is not he ?
His tendency of ” waste no time ” factor must be lauded !
This innovative style of functioning can pave a way for minimising and reducing
the number of “meaningless and futile litigations only for the sake of litigation” !
The way and manner in which he has been conducting himself as CJI must augur
something quite unprecedented, exemplary, eye-opening and sounding a note of
caution too !
The Honorable Apex Court proceedings and performances now with the advent of
Justice Gogoi cannot be taken casually and lightly ! The Attorney General of India
K.K. Venugopal ‘s reaction laced with distress of ” swift dismissal ” of certain cases
makes contours of the working of the Supreme Court in a different fashion very
obviously clear !
There is in fact a learning angle too in Attorney General of India’s reaction for a layman
that dismissals of cases are SWIFT and then SLOW as well !
Sans any doubt, this innovative mode implies the change in times signifying a time
tested universal fact , ” CHANGE IS THE LAW OF NATURE ” !
Then how can the top most court of the nation be devoid of this law of nature too ?
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist
Pom Anm Nest, Barnala (Punjab)
I am confident the supreme court will also emit rays of wisdom in the case of the temple, because sections have been lofting the problem for political gains, it would be in the interest of the real aastha bearing common man, who was and is not in picture. So, to not let the solution become the parallel, SC can have separate attendance of each party and ask them to give rights of their claim to the SC, then SC form a SBT (special building team), under its supervision, and build the temple and the mosque separated by innovative wall and disturbance restricting system, both could be built, with entrance far away from each other, almost isolated from each other, still having common wall. That will give relief to the real aastha common man, and also to people who want to have a mosque as per their right.