M A I N   N E W S

HC Judge excuses himself from CJ’s Bench
Maneesh Chhibber
Our High Court Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 23
The crisis in the Punjab and Haryana High Court does not seem to end. Even as three senior judges are scheduled to meet the Chief Justice of India tomorrow to explain the reason that forced 25 judges to proceed on mass leave, one of the protesting judges today excused himself from a Bench headed by Chief Justice B.K. Roy.

Today morning, when the petition relating to the alleged irregularities in the selection of Deputy Superintendents of Police by the Punjab Government was to be taken up, the Chief Justice announced that it would not be possible to hear the petition, as Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi had requested to be excused from the Bench. Due to the refusal of Mr Justice Singhvi to continue in the Bench, the Full Bench of three Judges could not continue with the proceedings. A new Bench would be constituted on a later date to hear the case.

Apart from the Chief Justice and Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi, the third member of the Full Bench was Mr Justice Surya Kant.

It may be recalled that the rift between the Chief Justice and a majority of the judges of the High Court came into the open on April 19 when 25 judges proceeded on mass leave to register their protest against the style of functioning of the Chief Justice. While the judges returned to work the next day after the intervention of a Supreme Court judge, three senior Judges of the High Court are scheduled to meet the Chief Justice of India tomorrow in connection with the issue. Apart from Mr Justice Singhvi, the other two judges who have been called to New Delhi are Mr Justice V.K. Bali and Mr Justice H.S. Bedi.