"Misused Position For Making False, Political And Scandalising Remarks": Plea In SC To Remove Andhra CM For Allegations Against Justice Ramana

The Petitioner-Advocates, GS Mani Pradeep Kumar Yadav, and seek a time bound judicial inquiry into the allegations made against the sitting judge and an appropriate action against Reddy thereafter.

They have also sought issuance of a writ in the nature of Quo Warranto against Reddy, declaring that he has no authority to hold the office of Chief Minister of State of Andhra Pradesh as he is "misusing his position and power as a Chief Minister by making a false, vague, political and scandalized remarks and allegations openly in the public and media against the senior most sitting judge of this Hon'ble Court and render Justice."

The Petitioners have asserted that the Executive should not overtake the judiciary; however in the present case, Reddy has "disturbed" judicial independence by making false allegations against a sitting judge.

"No one including these PIL writ petitioners have never or ever entertain corruption in the government as well as in the judiciary. But at the same time independence and integrity of Judiciary is most important. A person who is holding the post of head of the State Executive should not overtake the judiciary by making a false allegations against the sitting judges of the Hon'ble Supreme Court. The general public confidence over the judiciary is paramount important. If public lost their confidence and faith over the judiciary there is no purpose remains," the plea states.

It is submitted that if Reddy was aggrieved over any issue which is pending in the court, he had a full right to challenge the same before the highest forum of court in accordance with law. However, "without taking any legal steps as per law", he wrote a letter to the CJI, making "vague allegations" against a sitting judge of the Top Court, and even published the same in the public domain, "only to tarnish the image" of the country's apex judicial institution.

The Petitioners have further speculated that Reddy has attempted to lower public confidence in the judiciary, for his personal gain, as he himself is facing many number of criminal cases with the CBI and the Court.

On October 11, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, wrote a complaint to the Chief Justice of India, S A Bobde, alleging that some High Court judges are attempting to protect the interests of the major opposition party, Telugu Desom Party, in politically sensitive matters.

A striking feature of the complaint - details of which were revealed to the media in a presser by Ajaya Kellam, the advisor of the CM, on Saturday evening - was that it had accused senior Supreme Court judge, Justice N V Ramana, who is next in line to be the Chief Justice of India, of influencing the administration of justice in the High Court.

A plea has also been moved before the Supreme Court stating that the contents of Reddy's letter have put the confidence of people in Judiciary at stake.