Supreme Court dismisses Jagan's complaint against judge

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it has dismissed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's complaint against a senior top court judge after giving it 'due consideration'.

However, it said that all the matters dealt with under the in-house procedure being 'strictly confidential in nature, are not liable to be made public'.

The statement posted on the Supreme Court Web site said, 'A complaint dated October 6, 2020, sent by the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh to the Supreme Court was dealt with under the in-house procedure and the same, on due consideration, stands dismissed. It be noted that all the matters dealt with under the in-house procedure being strictly confidential in nature, are not liable to be made public.'

On October 6, in an unprecedented move, Reddy wrote a letter to Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde alleging that a senior Supreme Court judge had been influencing the sittings of the Andhra Pradesh high court and acting in the interests of the Telugu Desam Party.

Reddy alleged that the Andhra Pradesh high court was being used to 'destabilise and topple my democratically elected government'.

Reddy had requested Chief Justice Bobde to look into the matter and consider initiating steps 'as may be considered fit and proper to ensure that the state judiciary's neutrality is maintained'.

Reddy had alleged that the senior apex court judge had proximity to the TDP's Nara Chandrababu Naidu and that a 'former judge of the honourable Supreme Court placed this fact on record'.

After his government initiated an inquiry into the actions of the Chandrababu Naidu regime between 2014 and 2019, Reddy said, 'It is now clear that the judge started influencing the course of administration of justice in the state...'

Naming some high court judges, Reddy had alleged that they had a 'nexus with the Supreme Court judge and the Telugu Desam Party and displayed animosity towards my government and me'.

The apex court judge's influence was in the areas of 'roster for sitting of the honourable judges, whereby important matters of policy and protection for Chandrababu Naidu's interests were posted before a few honourable judges,' Reddy alleged, and referred to some orders to buttress his claims.

The chief minister's letter to the CJI was dated October 6 and his principal advisor Ajeya Kallam had released it to the media in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, on the night of October 10.