Delhi Bar Association slams YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's charges against SC judge

New Delhi: The Delhi Bar Association (DBA) on Thursday condemned the allegations of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy against a senior Supreme Court judge that he has been influencing the sittings of Andhra Pradesh High Court.

The Executive Committee of DBA, the parent Bar of all the district courts in the national capital, said Jagan has circulated a "baseless and ill-founded" letter on October 6 to the Chief Justice of India, which casts serious aspersions on the judges of the apex court and the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. "It has been unanimously resolved that Jagan Mohan Reddy has circulated a baseless and ill-founded letter dated October 6, 2020, which casts serious aspersions on the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and has been issued with a view to cause interference in the administration of justice," the association said in its resolution.

The Delhi Bar Association of Tis Hazari District Courts further said that it has been a long tradition that no one should be allowed to raise aspersions on a sitting judge of the top court or of any High Court without any basis and such action amounts to contempt of court. "The letter dated October 6 seems to have been circulated in public domain with a mala fide intent to interfere with the working of the judiciary," the association said. It said the DBA unequivocally, categorically and in strongest terms condemns the terms cast upon the apex court judge.

In an unprecedented move, Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde, alleging that the AP High Court was being used to "destabilise and topple my democratically-elected government." He has requested the CJI 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."