Allahabad High Court Bar Association welcomes Centre's 'move' to impeach Justice Yashwant Verma
Prayagraj (UP) (PTI): The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has welcomed the Centre's reported move to impeach Justice Yashwant Verma and said it will increase people's trust in the judiciary.
Allahabad High Court Bar Association president Anil Tiwari told PTI on Thursday, "This move (impeachment) will increase people's trust in the judiciary. If judges become corrupt, people's trust in the court will be lost.
"It is necessary for the existence of the court that action is taken against corrupt people. Here the question is not of Justice Yashwant Verma, but the question is of the existence of the court, people's trust and democracy. If the trust in the judiciary is lost, democracy will end."
Tiwari further said, "We have appealed to the opposition parties not to do politics in this (impeachment case) and vote in favour of impeachment."
Justice Verma came into the spotlight after a huge amount of cash was allegedly found at his official bungalow in New Delhi following a fire incident.
The then Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjeev Khanna had constituted a committee of three judges to investigate the matter on March 22. On March 24, on the directions of the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court withdrew judicial work from Justice Verma.
Later, Justice Verma was transferred to the Allahabad High Court.
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NIA court to complete framing of charges against 2010 hand-chopping case accused on May 15
Kochi (PTI): A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving professor T J Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge P K Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo.
A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly chopped off Joseph’s palm, was arrested in Berram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he had allegedly been hiding under the pseudonym Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafeer, who allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Savad at Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard the counsel for the accused and the NIA prosecutor on framing charges against the duo.
"On going through the documents and evidence in the case and on hearing the counsel for the accused and the prosecutor, I am of the opinion that there are grounds for presuming that the first accused has committed offences punishable under provisions of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and that the second accused has committed offences punishable under the IPC and the UAPA, and there are materials for framing charges under these provisions against the accused," the court said.
The court directed that Savad be produced and Shafeer, who is on bail, appear before it on May 15 for recording their pleas as part of the charge-framing process.
After framing the charges, the court will schedule the trial in the case.
