Plea seeking SIT probe into transfer threat to K’taka HC judge quashed

Team Udayavani, Jul 26, 2022, 9:11 AM IST

Bengaluru: A petition seeking an investigation into the threat of transfer to a High Court justice here has been quashed by HC’s Division bench.

The bench headed by acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty, which took up the petition by Ramesh Nayak, gave the order.

The bench questioned the petitioner, “Doesn’t know who has the authority to transfer judges? The power is not with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The liberty of judiciary is sacrosanct as laid down by the constitution,” the bench said.

The bench further observed that “no one can even touch justice”. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was submitted demanding probe in a case where in threat of transfer was given to Karnataka High Court sitting judge H.P. Sandesh.

The PIL submitted the case of threat to High Court Judge H.P. Sandesh be probed by a special wing and he should be given proper security cover. The petitioner claimed that in the wake of such threats, the judges won’t be able to work without bias.

The petition further claimed that this would send a wrong message to the society. The action should be initiated in terms of protecting the liberty of the judiciary and should also take measures to instill more confidence among the people in the judiciary.

Justice H.P. Sandesh had taken the ruling BJP to task with regards to the appointments to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). After this, the ACB sleuths arrested Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bengaluru Urban district, J. Manjunath on charges of corruption.

Justice Sandesh had stated that he was given transfer threat through a High Court judge and he did not care much about it. He also stated that he was ready to go back to his farm and carry out agriculture rather than succumbing to pressure. Later, the Supreme Court issued a stay on the observations made on the ACB and the officer in-charge.

(With IANS inputs)