Opinion December 31, 1981, Forty Years Ago: Judges’ case verdict

Judges’ case verdict

The Supreme Court dismissed all writ petitions in the judges’ case and by a majority of 4-3 upheld the actions of the Union government on the three main questions involved. The transfer of Chief Justice K B N Singh of the Patna High Court, the government decision not to extend the term of the additional judge of the Delhi HC S N Kumar and the Law Minister’s circular to chief ministers to obtain the consent of transfer anywhere of those who wanted to be permanent judges, were held valid. Justices A C Gupta, V D Tulzapurkar, Justice K
S Pathak, and Justice E S Venkataramiah held that the transfer of the Patna Chief Justice was valid. However, Justice P N Bhagwati, presiding judge, Justice D A Desai and Justice Murtaza Fazal Ali, held that the transfer was in the nature of a punishment and it was in the case of Justice Singh that the Chief Justice of India filed an affidavit of his own to clarify the stages of consultation between him and Justice Singh. The Patna judge had contradicted the statements of the Chief Justice of India.

PM on Opposition

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi criticised Janata rule for reversing the process of development initiated by her government and ridiculed
the opposition move for unity. Addressing a public meeting here at the end of her visit to the state, Mrs Gandhi said she was not worried about the accusations being hurled at her government. The opposition was in the habit of running down its achievements, she said.

Assam on edge

Security arrangements have been tightened all over the Brahmaputra valley as four bomb explosions were reported from various parts of Darrang and North Lakhimpur districts with barely hours to go for the 36-hour “Path Bandh” (road blockade) campaign organised by the AASU and AGP.