SC notice to advocate for
hurling graft charge at judge
The Supreme Court on Friday
issued notice to advocate Prashant Bhushan on amicus
curiae Harish Salves plea for initiation of contempt
proceedings against the former for his allegation
that Justice S H Kapadia had indulged in corrupt
practices while deciding a corporate matter.
Presenting the petition before the Forest Bench,
Salve said Bhushan had made baseless allegations
amounting to lowering the dignity of the judiciary
and undermining the public confidence in the court.
Bhushan, in an interview to an English weekly, had
accused Justice Kapadia of not recusing himself from
hearing a matter on the Niyamgiri mining case despite
holding shares in Sterlite, to which the mining lease
was given.
Now,
CJI-to-be recuses himself from Vedanta case
New Delhi: Senior Supreme Court
judge Justice S H Kapadia on Friday recused himself
from hearing a matter pertaining to public offer made
by London-based Veda--nta Resources to buy additional
stake in ironore exporting firm Sesa Goa as he
happens to be shareholder of a sister company.
Justice Kapadia is holding shares of Sterlite
Industries, a sister concern of Vedanta Resources .
Kapadia has been in the middle of the controversy for
being a part of the Special Forest Bench which
earlier heard a petition challenging mining in hills
in Orissa by Sterlite Industries though he had
disclosed in the begining that he was a shareholder
of the Vedanta group company.
However, no party had objected , but later media
reports had critised him for not recusing himself
from hearing the case that allowed Vedanta Resources
Plc to mine bauxite in sacred hills in Orissa. Before
the counsel could start arguments on Friday, Justice
Kapadia , who is next in line to become the Chief
Justice of India, while enquiring if it was a case
relating to Sesa Goa said not before me. AGENCIES
(Both
news items are from TOI November 7, 2009 pg 16)
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