The following is the full text of a press release issued by the Bar Council of India two days after the retirement of now-former Supreme Court judge Justice J Chelameswar. Besides slamming the former judge for interviews given to the media, the press release also condemns him for the damage done to the Supreme Court of India by him. Further, the release consistently misspells his name throughout the press release.

The statement is being reproduced here verbatim and is not edited.

BAR COUNCIL OF INDIA

(Statutory Body Constituted under the Advocates Act, 1961) 21, Rouse Avenue Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110 002

-: Press Release :-

Self restraint by the Hon'ble judges of the highest court seems to be a forgotten virtue. They have to prevent themselves from issuing statements without giving any thought to the consequences such statements could entail., The manner in which Hon'ble Justice Chemeleshwar went to the media and gave controversial and, irrelevant statements Immediately upon retirement, was not expected of a person holding such a high post and was infact against the dignity of the post he had held. Such statements and comments are liable to be deprecated. Such statements cannot be tolerated, accepted or digested by the Advocates including the rest of the countrymen.

Justice Chemeleshwar has resorted to usage of such controversial words like" Bench fixing". Now if a handful of Lawyers of the highest court filed matter/ s and mentioned it before Justice Chemeleshwar and other chosen judges, and tried to get it listed, then that would have been "Bench fixing". Such instances have been repeated not once but on two-three occasions. Justice Chemeleshwar should have raised an objection at that point in time. But Justice Chemeleshwar did not do so and, infact accepted and agreed to hear certain matters himself which led to the beginning of a wrong practice. Had such irregular or unlawful orders been sought to be set aside by the Chief Justice or by some other judge then there would have been no harm done. Before issuing any statements relating to judges meeting politicians, Justice Chemeleshwar should himself do an self introspection.

The fact that Justice Chemeleshwar met CPI Leader and Rajya Sabha M.P. D Raja immediately after his Press Conference, clearly deciphers the mystery and the motive behind the controversial statements being issued by Justice Chemeleshwar. The amount of damage which has been done to the institution since last January, would take a long time to be repaired and rectified. However, we have full and utmost faith that the Lawyers of the country, especially the younger generation would criticise and dislike such kind of statements and do their level best to salvage and protect the dignity and decorum of the Highest Court of the Land.

For the purpose of self consolidation and for fulfilling selfish and vested interests, not only some political leaders, but some Advocates and even infact some judges have attempted to misuse and malign the institution but they have woefully failed. It is the great fortune of the country that 99.9 of the legal fraternity and the judges have seen through this ulterior motive and mindset and such people who have attempted to bring disrepute to the institution for their vested interests, have had to suffer a setback at each step. The judiciary of the land is by far the holiest and the most powerful institution and in which even today, each citizen of the country has full and unflinching faith. Any and every judge should first do a self introspection and look at himself/herself, their actions, deeds before making or issuing any statements against the judiciary and they should make concerted efforts to safeguard and maintain the dignity and decorum of the institution.

Manan Kumar Mishra Chairman

Satish A Deshmukh Vice-Chairman

Apurva Kumar Sharma Chairman, EC

T.S. Ajith Co-Chairman

Amit Rana Co-Chairman

The press statement has not been edited by Vartha Bharati and has been reproduced verbatim.



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New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.

The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.

The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.

The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.

"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.

On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.

Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.

"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.

Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.

During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.

The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.

Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.

Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.

A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.

Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.

"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.

Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.