Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi writes to PM for the removal of Allahbad High Court Judege N.Shukla
By : – Syed Ali Taher Abedi
Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate a motion for removal of Allahbad High Court’s Justice SN Shukla. Months after an in- house committee constituted by Apex court found him guilty of mis conduct.
The in-house committee comprised of then Madras High Court Chief Justice Indira Banerjee,Sikkim High Court Chief Justice SK Agnihotri, and Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Just PK Jaiswal found merit in the allegations against Shukla. According to the report submitted by inquiry committee that was constituted by Apex court.
Justice Shukla had “disgraced the values of judicial life, acted in a manner unbecoming of a judge”, lowered the “majesty, dignity and credibility of his office” and acted in breach of his oath of office,
Googi’s predecessor Dipak Mishra had asked Shukla to either resign or take voluntary retirement from the service.
When Shukla refused to follow the directives, Mishra asked the Chief Justice of Allahbad High Court to not give him judicial work. After that Shukla had reportedly gone on a long leave.
On May 23 2019 Shukla wrote a letter to CJI Gogoi which was forwarded by the CJ of Allahabad High Court requesting that he be allowed to discharge judicial work in the High Court.
The allegations against Shukla pertain to the Medical Council of India bribery case.The alleged scam involves some medical colleges that were denied permission to function by the Medical Council of India.
A middle man allegedly assured the colleges that the judiciary would allow them to keep running. The institutes then allegedly paid the middlemen to facilitate this.
Shukla had passed an order in 2017granting permission to one such medical college to admit students despite a Supreme Court order restraining such action.
The following month Utter Pradesh Advocate General Raghvendra Singh filed a complaint against Shukla.
The Central Bureau of Investigation in its preliminary inquiry report in September 2017 said retired Judge of Odhissa High Court IM Quddusi and the Chairman of a trust that runs some of the institution had met Shukla in August and “Delivered [to him] illegal gratification”.
On Sep 19 2017 CBI had filed an FIR against Quddosi and others for allegedly bribing public officials. However the FIR did not mention Shukla.
Shukla joined Allahbad High Court in 2005 and is schedule to retiring in July 2020.