New Delhi: In a note to the Supreme Court Tuesday, Justice (retired) L. Narasimha Reddy, who stepped down the same day as the head of a Commission of Inquiry (COI) set up by the Telangana government, clarified that he addressed a press conference on the COI’s functioning only to apprise reporters about the panel’s contours of enquiry and the progress made on it.
The COI was constituted to investigate alleged irregularities in power procurement during former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s term.
Justice Reddy quit as the head of the COI Tuesday afternoon within minutes of being told about the SC’s reservations over his move to hold a press briefing regarding the COI. A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud had expressed its disapproval of the statements made by Justice Reddy on 11 June, suggesting that he had pre-judged the issue.
Written in response to the SC’s criticism over his media briefing, Justice Reddy’s note also said that he held the press conference because reporters were publishing news about the commission on “imagination.”
“When we were not holding any press briefing, the reporters were publishing news about our commission on imagination,” the note said.
He refrained from making any comments on the apex court’s remarks about him prejudging the issue.
“The last thing for a judge or for that matter, a former judge, to assert would be that he is not biased. The day when such a necessity arises the very office would lose its sheen.
“As a gesture to uphold the dignity of the judicial fraternity, I hereby express my view that I do not intend to continue as the commission.”
Justice Reddy’s note was submitted to the court Tuesday when the bench reassembled post lunch break to hear the issue. ThePrint has accessed the note that was accepted by the top court.
Allegations against KCR
The court expressed its objections to the press briefing by Justice Reddy while hearing KCR’s appeal against the Telangana High Court (HC) order that dismissed his petition seeking to pause the ongoing investigation by the COI.
In his petition before the HC, KCR had questioned whether the formation of the judicial COI violated the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, and the Electricity Act, 2003. Hence, the petition said, the commission has no jurisdiction as the terms of reference were subject to adjudication before both Telangana and Chhattisgarh electricity regulatory commissions.
The allegations of irregularities against KCR are with regard to the purchase of 1,000 megawatts of power from Chhattisgarh and the construction of the Bhadradri and Yadadri thermal power plants during his rule.
Justice Reddy’s note pointed out a press briefing done by another COI, which the Telangana government has set-up to prove the Kaleshwaram barrages issue. Headed by former SC judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, the one-man judicial commission is probing the alleged negligence, irregularities and lacunae in planning and construction of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla that are part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
According to the note, the COI investigating power procurement as well as Justice Ghose’s commission are functioning from BRKR Bhawan. It said that Justice Ghose’s commission has been holding press briefings almost every alternate day. Since the reporters used to attend the press briefing, they pestered Justice Reddy’s office for his statement, it added.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
Also Read: SC-appointed panel suggests felling 2,818 trees for road work in Taj zone, 1k fewer than UP proposed
Indian journalists are always trying to one -up the judiciary. They are always on the hunt for ex-judges, at times even of sitting judges.
Every single decision taken by the judges, including those in their private lives, are subject to merciless scrutiny by the media. For example, ex-CJI Mr. Ranjan Gogoi was sent to the Rajya Sabha post retirement by the BJP. Every single media outfit, especially the Left-liberal ones, came up with all kinds of quid-pro-quo theories and questioned his integrity and character.
While journalists, self proclaimed fourth pillar of democracy, can join political parties all the time and even hop from one party to another without copping a blow from the media.
Ms. Sagarika Ghose was sent to Rajya Sabha on a TMC ticket but not a single media outlet criticised her decision. Rather, outlets like The Print provided her with a platform to air her views. The message is very simple and clear –
“If you are from the media fraternity, you can do as you please. Nobody would question your decisions, career choices, integrity and character. In short you have a free pass.”