Advocates demand probe into ‘threat’ posed to Karnataka HC judge

They condemn the reported threat of transfer posed to High Court judge H.P. Sandesh

Condemning the ‘threat’ to Justice H.P. Sandesh, advocates K.H. Patil, V.D. Kamaraddi and Prakash Udikeri held a press conference in Dharwad on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Hubballi-Dharwad advocates have strongly condemned the reported threat of transfer posed to High Court judge H.P. Sandesh and have said that all those who wanted to safeguard the interests of the country should support the Judge.

Addressing press persons in Dharwad on Wednesday, State Joint Secretary of All India Lawyers Union (AILU) K.H. Patil, State Bar Council member V.D. Kamaraddi, former office bearer of AILU Prakash Udikeri made a plea to stand for Mr. Sandesh in the interest of the country.

Mr. Kamaraddi said that it was unfortunate that a Judge of the High Court had received threat of transfer for doing his duty impartially. Hearing a corruption case, Mr. Sandesh had taken Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to task for its kind of functioning, where officials in higher position were allowed to escape from punishment despite being caught red handed while accepting bribe.

Mr. Prakash Udikeri said that without any hesitation Mr. Sandesh had revealed about the threat regarding the transfer. “Every true citizen should support Mr. Sandesh, who had expressed that all corrupt officials should be punished. There is need for thorough inquiry and the identity of the person who had issued the threat of transfer should be revealed,” he said.

Mr. K.H. Patil said that it was really sad that those who were supposed to punish the corrupt were themselves involved in corruption. The advocates said that they would stand with Justice Sandesh and a thorough investigation should be conducted to reveal the source of the threat.

They also said that those former Judges and judicial officers who were criticising the observations of the judges in the Nupur Sharma case, were trying to politicise the issue in a bid to appease the government.

Attack on judiciary

In a statement, State Executive Member of AILU Basavaraj Korimath has strongly condemned the incident and termed it as attack on the independence of judiciary. The development had revealed that those in ACB were themselves corrupt and were protecting other corrupt officials instead of punishing them.

Mr. Korimath has demanded that thorough investigation should be conducted to find out the person who had issued the threat of transfer, the forces behind him and punish all of them. “AILU will appreciate the bold move of the judge and will stand with Mr. Sandesh. AILU will urge the Chief Justice of Karnataka and Supreme Court to order for thorough inquiry,” he has said in the statement.