Apex court won’t expunge barb against Allahabad High Court

NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Friday refused to expunge its “something is rotten” barb about the Allahabad High Court, holding that everybody knew which judge of the court was corrupt.

“Rustics are no longer rustics. Don’t think people are fools,” Justice Markandey Katju said no sooner had senior counsel P.P Rao risen to argue a petition by the Allahabad High Court urging that the barb be expunged.

“We will make a clarification but not expunge the remarks,” said the bench of Justice Katju and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra - the same bench that had slammed the Allahabad High Court Nov 26 for nepotism and corruption and for passing orders on “extraneous considerations”.

“The day Justice Katju takes a bribe everybody will come to know,” Justice Katju said, adding that he talked about the Allahabad High Court as his family was connected to it for last 100 years.

The high court, in its petition, said that the apex court only exercised appellate jurisdiction over the verdicts of the high courts. The apex court has also held that it “does not exercise any supervisory powers as such over the high courts”.

Being the country’s oldest high court, it deserved some degree of protection, the petition had said.

In the Nov 26 judgment, the apex court said: “We are sorry to say but a lot of complaints are coming against certain judges of Allahabad High Court relating to their integrity.”

“Some judges have their kith and kin practicing in the same court, and within a few years of starting practice, the sons and relations of judges become multi-millionaires, have huge bank balances, luxurious cars, huge houses and enjoy a luxurious life.”

“This is a far cry from the days when the sons and other relatives of judges could drive no benefit from their relationship and had to struggle at the bar like any other lawyer,” the court had said.