SC refutes charge that judges are pro-govt

The Supreme Court on Thursday sought to answer a charge that some of its judges were pro-government.

In a rebuttal to the criticism faced after transfer of Karnataka High Court judge Justice Jayant Patel to the Allahabad High Court, the apex court said somebody has to sit through the day in courtrooms to understand how the government is hauled up everyday in a number of cases.

Former SC Bar Association president Dushyant Dave minced no words to slam the apex court’s Collegium.

On Thursday, an apex court bench, presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, was hearing a plea against the adverse remarks made by former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan in the Bulandshahr gang-rape case.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, then referred to comments on the Bar Association functionaries about the SC having been “besetted by pro-government judges”.

“An ex-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association has gone on record on television that most of the Supreme Court judges are pro-government. Let them come and sit in the court to see in how many cases we haul up the government in favour of citizens,” Justice Chandrachud said.