CBI found no offence against ex-Madras HC CJ Tahilramani: Govt to House

Responding to a query from DMK MP A K P Chinraj on the status of the CBI probe against Justice Tahilramani, Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, informed Lok Sabha: “CBI had received a reference dated 26.09.2019 from Secretary General of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. CBI, on verification, found that the reference did not disclose commission of a cognizable offence and accordingly, no offence has been registered.”

The complaint was made by the Supreme Court days after Justice Tahilramani had resigned as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.

The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, had recommended the transfer of Justice Tahilramani as Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court from Madras for “better administration of justice”.

Justice Tahilramani made a request for reconsideration, which was denied. After the Collegium’s decision was made public, she resigned.

The Collegium did not disclose reasons for the transfer. A statement, signed by the Supreme Court Secretary General and uploaded on the Court’s official webpage, said “certain reports relating to recommendations recently made by the Collegium regarding transfer of Chief Justices/Judges of the High Courts have appeared in the media. As directed, it is stated that each of the recommendations for transfer was made for cogent reasons after complying with the required procedure in the interest of better administration of justice.”

It stated “though it would not be in the interest of the institution to disclose the reasons for transfer, if found necessary, the Collegium will have no hesitation in disclosing the same”.

It underlined that “each of the recommendations was made after full and complete deliberations and the same were unanimously agreed upon by the Collegium”.

Prior to her appointment as Chief Justice of Madras High Court in August 2018, Justice Tahilramani had been Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court thrice since 2015. Before being appointed a judge of Bombay High Court in 2001, she was a government pleader and public prosecutor for the Maharashtra government.