Apex court refuses to expunge ‘rotten’ remark

NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Friday refused to expunge the remarks that something was “rotten” with the Allahabad High Court while hearing a petition of the lower court.

An apex court bench headed by Justice Marakandey Katju said that they will issue a clarification in respect of their Nov 26 judgement wherein the controversial remarks were made.

The Allahabad High Court filed the petition Wednesday following the decision of the full bench of the high court, which took exception to the adverse remarks by the Supreme Court.

In its verdict last month, the Supreme Court bench slammed the high court for passing “shocking and outrageous” orders on “extraneous considerations” that shook the faith of the common man in judicial functioning.

Asking the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court to take some strong measures for “house cleaning”, the apex court said that kith and kin of certain judges were “shamelessly” taking advantage of their relationship and enjoying luxurious life.

The court’s stinging censure of the Allahabad High Court came in the wake of the orders of a single-judge bench of the high court, in which he directed the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board to allot Waqf land to Raja Khan for running a circus and swings in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh.

The order of the single judge was set aside by a division bench of the high court. It was this order of the division bench that Raja Khan had challenged in the apex court.

The apex court upheld the bench ruling and said the order of the single judge of the high court was passed on “extraneous considerations”.