3 min readJaipurAug 31, 2023 05:23 AM IST
First published on: Aug 31, 2023 at 04:00 AM IST
RAJASTHAN CHIEF Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said there was rampant corruption in the judiciary today, and that he has heard that some lawyers write judgments which are then pronounced.
“Aaj jo bataiye itna corruption ho raha hai judiciary ke andar. Itna bhayankar corruption hai, kai wakil log toh maine suna hai, likh ke le jaate hain judgment aur judgment wohi aata hai (Tell me, so much corruption is there in the judiciary today. Corruption is so much… I have heard that some lawyers write the judgment and take it along, and that judgment comes),” Gehlot told reporters here.
“Kya ho raha hai judiciary ke andar? Chahe lower ho, chahe upper ho, haalat bade gambhir hai (What is happening in the judiciary? Whether lower or upper, the situation is very serious),” he said.
Reacting to the remarks, Rajasthan High Court Bar Association president Mahendra Shandilya termed them “unfortunate”, and said that the Chief Minister should present evidence if he has any.
“It is a very unfortunate statement by a very responsible person who is the Chief Minister. He should not make such sweeping statements. If he has any evidence, he is welcome to give the name of the honourable judge,” Shandilya told The Indian Express.
Speaking to the reporters, the Chief Minister also said that he has never intervened in the judiciary and government agencies. “I never intervened in the judiciary, RPSC (Rajasthan Public Service Commission), ACB (Anti Corruption Bureau) in my life,” he said.
“We may have helped in making several High Court judges. Twenty-five years ago, Chief Ministers would give recommendation to make High Court judges. We have seen that period. We were also in Parliament, were central ministers. We may have also given several recommendations. There may have been some value of those recommendations, some may have also become judges. Once they became judges, I never spoke with them in my life. I keep my own approach,” he said.
Gehlot also slammed the BJP government at the Centre, accusing it of misusing agencies.
“This government can do anything. The entire country is worried, democracy is in danger with this government being there… Judiciary is under pressure. I feel that CBI Director, ED Director and Chairman of Income Tax’s CBDT should ask their inner voice that you are entering homes on getting orders from above, without assessment and recce… They should tell their bosses that we can’t do it. The time has come. If this doesn’t happen, history will not forgive them, whether today they are Director of ED, Director of CBI or Chairman of the CBDT,” said Gehlot.
Speaking to the reporters, the Chief Minister also said that he has never intervened in the judiciary and government agencies. “I never intervened in the judiciary, RPSC (Rajasthan Public Service Commission), ACB (Anti Corruption Bureau) in my life,” he said.
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