SC declines to stay dismissal of judicial officer

The Supreme Court has declined to interfere with the dismissal of a judge in the Karnataka judicial service on charges of financial irregularities, free access to his chamber to certain lawyers and not informing the High Court (HC) about owning a particular mobile phone, among others.

B P Honakhande, who joined the service in 1995, was dismissed in 2012. He was served with a charge sheet, which said that he had failed to maintain honesty and committed acts unbecoming of a judicial officer, amounting to misconduct within the meaning of the provisions of the Karnataka Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1966.

In a special leave petition, Honakhande, a resident of Belagavi, challenged the Karnataka High Court's orders of March 24 this year, July 5 last year and others, rejecting his plea pertaining to his dismissal from service.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Mohan M Shantanagoudar, in an order on Friday, dismissed his petition, saying, "No case for interference with the impugned judgment is made out."

On March 24, the HC rejected his plea for the review of the July 5 order, whereby his writ appeal was dismissed for default as no one had appeared.

The HC had, on June 19, 2015, dismissed his writ petition, saying his conduct not only tarnished the image of a judicial officer, but also stained the judiciary in the eyes of the public.

An inquiry report in 2010 concluded that he could not explain the purchase of some properties. Besides, he was found to be meeting certain lawyers in his chamber and writing cryptic judgements awarding higher compensations in accident cases without assigning reasons against the settled principles of law. It was also concluded that his judgments were typed outside the court.