Orissa HC judges want 'corrupt' colleague out

OrissaAn additional judge of the Orissa High Court has been recommended for removal for rigging a selection test for subordinate judges, according to documents seen by Hindustan Times.

The judge, to be confirmed as a full-fledged judge next January, had “wrongly increased the marks of two candidates”, says a letter written by the high court to Chief Justice of India K. G. Balakrishnan and the Union law ministry.

Citing an inquiry by Orissa high court’s acting chief justice I. M. Quddusi, the letter recommends “suitable action” and “reconsideration of the decision to appoint him as a judge”.

Justice P. D. Dinakaran, Karnataka HC chief justice Top jurists protested his proposed promotion to the Supreme Court. In continuing embarrassment for higher judiciary, this is the third case in the last 14 months of the judiciary seeking the removal of a judge for corruption or misconduct.

Chief justice Balakrishnan had sought last August the removal of Justice Soumitra Sen of Calcutta High Court. And a committee appointed by the CJI recommended the removal of Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nirmal Yadav in December 2008.

The Orissa court judge under fire said during the inquiry, the “difference in marks may have appeared due to a wrong dictation given to him, which was not cross-checked in good faith”

Justice Quddusi declined to comment on the issue.

The error was detected, when the interview board insisted on seeing the answer sheets of all six candidates called for the interview.

The court, in a notification posted on its website on September 15, admitted the error and withdrew the August 26 notification announcing the results of the test.