The Centre has sought a clarification from the Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice R.M. Lodha on the recommendation to elevate Justice K.L. Manjunath of the Karnataka High Court as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The recommendation was sent to the Law Ministry along with the transfer of the present incumbent, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. While the shifting of Mr. Justice Kaul had been cleared by President Pranab Mukherjee, the file relating to Mr. Justice Manjunath had been returned to the collegium seeking clarification or reconsideration.
ComplaintsHighly placed sources in the Law Ministry told The Hindu that clarification was being sought in view of certain complaints received against him by the government. Sources said the Ministry wanted to ascertain from the collegium whether these complaints had been considered before making the recommendations.
Mr. Justice Manjunath’s elevation will come through only if the collegium reiterates the recommendation by giving the required clarification.
The Centre’s move has come within weeks of its opposition to the elevation of senior advocate Gopal Subramanium as a Supreme Court judge. Justice Ashutosh Mohunta, who was transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court in September 2010, has been shifted back to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on medical grounds. He will now function as the acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.Other proposals in different stages of the process are: transfer of the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Justice Manjula Chellur, as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court and transfer of senior-most judge of the Kerala High Court, Justice K.M Joseph, to the Uttarakhand High Court.
