The Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that it will hear arguments on April 15 in the suo motu proceedings initiated over the Lokpal’s decision to entertain complaints against sitting high court judges. A special three-judge bench, comprising Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, and Abhay S Oka, has appointed senior advocate Ranjit Kumar as an amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter.
The suo motu proceedings stem from the Lokpal’s January 27 order, which the Supreme Court temporarily stayed on February 20. During that hearing, the court expressed concerns, calling the matter “very, very disturbing” as it directly affected the judiciary’s independence. The court had also issued notices to the Centre, the Lokpal registrar, and the complainant, seeking their responses.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, argued that high court judges do not fall under the purview of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. The Lokpal’s contentious order was based on two complaints lodged against a sitting additional judge of a high court, prompting the Supreme Court’s intervention to examine the issue further.
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