Chief Justice of India (CJI) JS Khehar has reinstated Justice Madan B lokur of the Supreme Court as the head of the E-committee after he was removed without notice by former CJI TS Thakur and replaced by a retired judge of Rajasthan High Court.
The E-committee of the Supreme Court, set up in 2004, was formed to implement computerization of all courts across the country and to equip courts with the latest Information Technology and Communications tools.
By an order dated January 20, the E-committee's Patron-in-chief CJI Khehar made Justice lokur as Judge-in-Charge, replacing the appointment of former Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Sunil Ambwani. The e-Committee also consists of Supreme Court judges Justices AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and two others. The invitee members include Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, and Justice BD Ahmed of Delhi High Court among others.
In 2012, Justice lokur was made the judge in-charge of the panel for the first time. Under him, the Committee successfully launched the National Judicial Data Grid for district courts across the country. While he was working on developing a similar Grid for High Courts, the previous CJI removed him without reason.
The Grid supplies data of pendency of cases (both civil and criminal) in every district court of all states. It gives details of cases pending over 10 years and five years, besides cases filed by senior citizens, women and other related data.