Ex-CJI Kabir denies wrongdoing

Former Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir on Tuesday denied media reports that he blocked elevation of the Gujarat High Court Chief Justice to the Supreme Court and tried to elevate a high court judge just 15 days before his retirement.

He also sought to “put the records straight” on orders passed on Sahara’s plea for more time to return money to investors.

In a release, Kabir said the reports were “clearly intended to lower my image before the public.”

“I have nothing against responsible reporting of facts in their totality, but I certainly object to canards, masquerading as news, being published in the newspapers to deliberately malign an individual,” Justice Kabir said.

In a six-page note, he said the story on denying Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya, a Supreme Court berth due “to personal bias” reflected “complete ignorance as to how collegium system functions.” Bhattacharya had allegedly objected to the appointment of Justice Kabir’s sister as a Calcutta High Court judge.

“It is unfortunate that although in the case of the Gujarat chief justice, the decision of the collegium was unanimous, the matter was reported in such a manner so as to give an impression that it was my individual bias which prevented him from being given a berth in the Supreme Court,” he said, pointing out that the collegium comprised “five senior-most” apex court judges.

Justice Kabir, who also released a copy of his letter to Justice Bhattacharya on Monday, said he had no role in the elevation of his sister Shukla Kabir Sinha as a Calcutta High Court judge.

Regarding allegations that he had tried to elevate a high court judge to the apex court just a fortnight before his retirement on July 18, Kabir explained that he wanted to give representation to Madhya Pradesh and suggested the name of the chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

“An impression has been given that it was only on July 2, 2013, that I suggested the name of the person concerned. This is a classic example of less than half of the truth in action. The process began soon after I assumed the office of the CJI in October 2012, but was deferred on one pretext or the other,” Justice Kabir said.

The elevation was reportedly prevented by the collegium as the name of the new Chief Justice, P Sathasivam, was already notified.

“The suggestion to hold the meeting on July 2 did not emanate from me, but from the members of the collegium themselves, including the present chief justice of India,” he clarified.