Has a judge at the Madras High Court submitted bogus certificates to obtain the position?
13 May, 2015
Attaching copies of documents obtained under Right to Information (RTI) Act, Justice C S Karnan has written a letter to the Joint Director CBI stationed at Chennai, making certain allegations against one of the High Court judges. He has alleged that a judge at the High Court had submitted bogus certificates to obtain the position and has sought a comprehensive inquiry into the education qualification.
Justice Karnan has alleged that the said judge produced BL degree certificate claiming that between 1980-83, he studied in a regular course as day scholar; between 1985-87, he obtained a masters degree in law from the Madras University and in 1983, he had enrolled as an advocate at the Tamil Nadu Bar Council. Justice Karnan has claimed that during this relevant period, the said judge was employed with the Post and Telegraph Department as a telegraphist and has enclosed a copy of a document obtained from BSNL under RTI Act. The document shows that an individual with a similar name was appointed on August 3, 1976, with the Post and Telegraph Department who resigned from service on November 30, 1988.
Copies of the letter were also marked to the Principal of Dr Ambedkar Government Law College, Tamil Nadu Bar Council, Madras University Registrar, Chief General Manager of Chennai Telephones and the Registrar General of the High Court with a request to cooperate with the CBI for a thorough inquiry.
There has been a controversy over the selection and appointment of judges to lower level judiciary and Justice C S Karnan, was restrained by the Supreme Court on May 11. The judge against whom allegations have been made was a part of the selection panel. Will this churning lead to a cleaner and transparent system in judiciary? Perhaps, only time would tell.