11-judge bench of Patna HC 'suspends' single judge's order critical of judiciary
Patna, Aug 29: In an unprecedented action, an 11-judge bench of the Patna High Court on Thursday "suspended" an order passed by a single judge which was critical of the judiciary.
The bench, led by Chief Justice A P Sahi, held that the order passed Wednesday was an "attack on judicial hierarchy, judicial integrity and majesty of the court", according to Advocate General of Bihar Lalit Kishor.
"Justice Rakesh Kumar had, in his detailed order passed yesterday, expressed his concerns over alleged casteism and corruption in the high court and the entire judicial system. He had also made some adverse remarks against judges who have retired or passed away," Kishor said here.
"Taking a serious note of the matter, Chief Justice A P Sahi constituted a bench comprising 11 judges which today took a grim view of the single judge order and suspended it observing that it was tantamount to an attack on judicial hierarchy, judicial integrity and majesty of the court," he said.
"The bench also ruled that the contents of the single judge order shall not be communicated anywhere" and that "the order of the 11-judge bench will be kept with the chief justice on the administrative side for further line of action", he added.
Justice Kumar had passed the order while taking suo motu cognisance of grant of bail to retired IAS officer K P Ramaiah by a vigilance court here, a year after he had turned down the anticipatory bail plea of the former bureaucrat, who is an accused in a corruption case.
Earlier, a notice was published in the court's registry on behalf of the Chief Justice stating "all the matters pending before Justice Rakesh Kumar, sitting singly including tied up/part heard or otherwise stand withdrawn with immediate effect".
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
