A midst widespread complaints over the judiciary’s approach to Kerala’s infamous solar scam in which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is allegedly involved, two High Court judges who had made serious observations against the Congress-led State Government while hearing scam-related cases have been relieved of the responsibility of handling these cases.
Though the changes are interpreted as part of routine rearrangement of benches and cases after the Onam vacation, an act which comes totally under the discretion of the Chief Justice, legal experts, observers and political leaders say that the common people could naturally suspect the sincerity behind the move in the present circumstances.
The two judges whom Chief Justice Manjula Chellur has relieved of the charge of hearing the scam-related cases are Justices SS Satheeshchandran and VK Mohanan who had made some critical observations that were discomforting to the Congress-led UDF Government, Chief Minister Chandy, the Kerala Police and the Advocate General.
The changes have been brought about by Chief Justice Chellur just when suspicions are being aired about the manner in which certain decisions had come from some benches of the HC in several cases involving the Government and people close to it. “People are unlikely to view this change of judges as a routine matter,” said PC George, Government Chief Whip.
The scam-related cases which were being handled so far by Justice Satheeshchandran and Justice Mohanan will now be looked into by the benches of Justices Haroon Al Rasheed and Thomas T Joseph. Senior lawyers of the High Court said the shuffle at this juncture would lead to delays in the completion of proceedings in these politically important cases.
Justice Satheeshchandran, who was handling the bail petitions in scam-related cases, had made some sharp observations against Government and Chief Minister Chandy while considering the bail applications of scam perpetrator Shalu Menon, actress-dancer, and Tenny Joppen, former aide of the Chief Minister. This judge would now start considering civil cases.
Justice VK Mohanan also had made some sharp observations against the Government while hearing appeals in scam-related cases.