Chandigarh, February 11
In an outright condemnation of his brother Judges, outgoing Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Justice B.K. Roy, today claimed that when he took over in Chandigarh he found that some Judges “were not complying strictly with the roster of duty.”
In an interview to TV news channel Star News telecast today, Chief Justice Roy claimed that “even when he changed the roster and asked the other Judges to adhere to the same, some of them tried to wriggle out.”
This is the first time that Chief Justice Roy has made claims about controversial aspects of his stay in Chandigarh before TV cameras. However, the interview comes at a time when Chief Justice Roy stands transferred to the Guwahati High Court and has to join there by February 21.
“I saw some Judges trying to get selective cases listed before their Benches despite the fact that the cases did not fall within the purview of the roster assigned to them. Even after I changed the roster, many Judges kept files relating to such cases with themselves and did not return them. Finally, I had to order the Bench Secretaries to return the files so that the cases could be listed before appropriate Benches,” he claimed.
Relations between him and an most of the Judges were never cordial. A majority of the Judges were miffed with his attitude towards them and proceeded on mass leave on April 18 last year. The Judges were registering their protest against the attitude of the Chief Justice.
While not speaking directly about the “strike” by a majority of the Judges, Chief Justice Roy told the channel that at that time it had been reported that the President had expressed his anguish and concern over the action of the Judges.
To a question about the reason for his seeking the explanation of two sitting Judges for having accepted the ex-officio membership of the controversial Forest Hill Golf Club, the Chief Justice claimed that he had done the right thing.
It may be recalled that Chief Justice Roy had sought the comments of Mr Justice Viney Mittal and Mr Justice Virender Singh on this count.
Asked about his decision to debar lawyers related to sitting Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court from appearing before all those Judges whose kin are practising in the High Court, Chief Justice Roy told the news channel that it was the need of the hour to pass such an order.
To a question about his transfer, he maintained that it had been ordered by the President and all transfers that are in public interest have to be accepted.
