This Supreme Court judge can be impeached, if found guilty!
A probe against two sitting Odisha High Court judges saw the name of a senior Supreme Court Justice crop up during the course. The three-member committee of judges, constituted by the SC was to conduct an in-house inquiry against two sitting judges of the Odisha High Court. The panel has for now halted its proceedings and are seeking for CJI's guidance.
In-house inquiry against Justice Mohanty, Justice Sahoo
In September 2016, RTI activist Jayanta Kumar Das had written a complaint to then CJI TS Thakur, seeking legal action against Justice Mohanty and Sahoo for abusing their power and position. The sitting judges of Odisha High Court on Monday appeared before in-house inquiry committee.
Allegations against the two High Court judges
Justice Mohanty, a senior of the Orissa High Court was found to have taken bank loans to run his hotel business after he was raised to the bench. Meanwhile, the complaint against Justice Sangam Sahoo, was that he had allegedly used the public fund for restoration of his official residence.
3-member committee of judges write to CJI for guidance
After the senior SC Justice's name cropped up, the panel probing the issue of Odisha High Court judges, headed by Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice SJ Vazifdar, has now written to the Chief Justice of India for guidance and directions. Meanwhile, DNA remains aware of the identity of the SC judge but is withholding it because of the sensitivity of the subject.
SC's action against senior judiciary members
The SC in 1999, had laid down in-house procedure for taking suitable action against members of the superior judiciary who indulge in acts of omission or commission and breach the principles laid down. The last case in which the CJI had recommended impeachment of a sitting judge for proved misbehaviour was Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court.
