Recusal of HC judges 'serious and alarming': Suresh Kumar

Former law and parliamentary affairs minister and Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar has described the recusal of five judges of High Court from hearing the rape case against Ramachandrapur Mutt seer Raghaveshwaraa Bharathi as “serious and alarming”.

 In a Facebook post on Friday, Kumar has said: “Recusing oneself from hearing the case in the High Court is becoming serious and alarming. One after another, judges of the High Court of Karnataka are recusing themselves. First it was Justice Phanindra. Then it was Justice Ram Mohan Reddy, followed by Justice N Kumar.

Now both the judges before whom the case was listed, Justice H G Ramesh and Justice P B Bhajantri have recused themselves.”

Kumar said he fully agrees with what Justice H N Nag Mohan Das has said - “Judges recusing (withdrawing) themselves from hearing the matter is not a healthy development. Whatsoever may be the pressure, judiciary has been bestowed with the onus-duty-to hear and deliver Judgments." (sic)He said a solution should be found out as recusing should not send wrong messages to those who will “search, discover or invent some reason to paste motives” (sic). 

Kumar’s followers on the Facebook have hailed him for daring to express his views on the subject which others cannot. Concurring with his views, they have said that judges recusing from hearing the case is not a healthy trend.

The senior BJP leader has compared the dilemma of judges to the one faced by the then BJP government in the State in appointing the Lokayukta after the retirement of Justice Santosh Hegde.