Agencies
KOCHI: Justice Kurian Joseph, one of the four senior Supreme Court judges who raised questions at the functioning of the Chief Justice of India on Saturday said there was no need for outside intervention to solve the problem.
“An issue was raised. Those concerned have listened to it. Such actions would not occur in future. So (I) believe that the issue has been settled,” he told media persons here when asked about ways to sort out the issues raised by them.
Bar Council of India ,BCI, Saturday constituted a seven member delegation, to meet the judges of the Supreme Court to resolve the issue raised by the four senior most Judges during a press conference on Friday.
Text of the letter four SC judges wrote to CJI
“There is no need for outside intervention to solve the matter because its is a matter (that) occurred within an institution. Necessary steps would be taken by the institution itself to sort it out,” Justice Joseph said, when asked if outside intervention was required to solve the matter.
Bar Council delegation to meet SC judges to resolve on going crisis
He said there was no constitutional lapse from the part of Chief Justice of India but convention, practice and procedure has to be followed while carrying out his responsibility.
“We just brought that matter to his attention,” he said on the sidelines of the silver jubilee celebrations of the Major Archiespicopal Status of the Syro-Malabar Church at Kakkanad near here.
Justice Joseph said the judges acted solely in the interest of judiciary and justice.
“As some of you suggested it was a step for correction. The issue will end with the correction,” he said.
Earlier, he rejected suggestions that they had violated discipline and expressed the hope that their action will bring in more transparency in the administration of the Supreme Court.
“Stood up for justice and judiciary … That is what we said there (in New Delhi) yesterday. Nothing beyond that,” Justice Joseph said in Malayalam when local television news channels approached him at his ancestral home in Kalady near here seeking his reaction on yesterday’s development.
He said that the matter was not brought to the attention of the President of India as he has no constitutional responsibility over the Supreme Court or the judges of the apex court, Justice Joseph said.
The four senior most judges of the Supreme Court — justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, MB Lokur and Kurian Joseph — had on Friday called a press conference in New Delhi and said the situation in the top court was “not in order” and many “less than desirable” things have taken place.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra was on Saturday morning seen driving to the residence of the Chief Justice. He was seen sitting inside his official car which returned from the gate of the Chief Justice’s residence without entering the premises.
The Congress asked Modi to explain why he sent his aide to Justice Misra’s residence.
“As PM’s Principal Secretary, Nripendra Misra visits CJI’s residence at 5, Krishna Menon Marg. (The) PM must answer the reason for sending this special messenger to (the) Chief Justice of India,” tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Senior BJP leader and former minister Yashwant Sinha said on Saturday said it was “our bounden duty to take note of what the judges have said and raise our voice for corrective action”.
Sinha, who finds himself at variance with his party’s stand and policies, said fear stopped people from speaking out.
“If four senior judges have gone public then how is it a Supreme Court matter? It is a serious matter. If they say anything to the people of the country, it is our bounded duty to take note of that.”