“I am absolutely shocked and disappointed,” Justice Soumitra Sen said here on Thursday evening when asked to comment on the Rajya Sabha approving an impeachment motion against him earlier in the day.
“I have been victimised and used as a showcase that something has been done with regard to corruption; this is just a ploy,” he told The Hindu a few hours after his arrival from New Delhi.
A former judge of the Calcutta High Court, Justice Sen had argued his defence against a motion of impeachment in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
“This is my battle and I will see it to the end. I will not quit irrespective of the outcome,” he said, adding that he could choose to defend himself in the Lok Sabha.
“Thereafter, I can go to the Supreme Court. I had started the battle not for saving my job but to establish that you cannot resort to irregular and predetermined procedure from the beginning and hold me guilty,” Justice Sen said even as he maintained that he had “never misappropriated any money.”
Keywords: Rajya Sabha, impeachment proceedings, Justice Soumitra Sen
That a person who misappropriated money in his capacity as judge had arguments, enough to last his defence for two hours is surprising...He should have been expecting this and stating that he is 'shocked' is shocking for us as a citizen..
I hope Justice Mr. Sen has not already resigned his post as provided in Article 217 of Constitution. The motion of Impeachment has been just passed by the Rajya Sabha as per Articles 217 & 124. The same has to be passed in the Lokh Sabha also and reach the President within the current session of the Parliament and the President has to issue orders removing Justice Mr. Sen from the post. Until such time I afraid referring him as 'Former' Justice is not appropriate. The current motion is nothing to do anything with Corruption. But under the Constitution misbehavior and incapacity are the grounds which will make a Judge liable for removal. The point pertaining to the administrative superintendence powers of the Supreme Court or Chief Justice of India over the Judge of a High Court as raised by Justice Mr. Sen in his defense argument deserves to be considered. I am afraid the present scheme of the Constitution provides for Judicial superintendence only on the Supreme Court.
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