Speaking exclusively to Republic’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi described the rationale for holding the unprecedented press conference as detailed in his recently released autobiography ‘Justice for the Judge‘. Along with Justices Kurian Joseph, J Chelameswar and Madan Lokur, Gogoi had addressed a presser in the national capital on January 12, 2018 questioning the conduct of the then CJI Dipak Misra. On that occasion, they raised questions over the allocation of important cases in the Supreme Court.
Explaining the nature of grievances prior to the press conference, Ranjan Gogoi remarked, “We told him Chief Justice, the (Judge Loya) case has been assigned to a relatively junior judge. If you can’t take it up, it should go to judge no.2, 3 in the order of seniority. Seniority has a very predominant role in the judiciary. Appointments are by seniority, precedents are by seniority. Even the car which comes to pick you up after court hours comes in the order of seniority. When you go out for official dinner, you go out in the order of seniority.”
Lamenting that Misra refused to comply to this request, he elaborated, “Judge Loya was not the beginning, Judge Loya was the culmination. In my book, if you go through, it all started with Kalikho Pul, the Chief Minister of the state of Arunachal Pradesh who supposedly committed suicide. His wife addressed a letter on the administrative side to the Chief Justice and to the senior judges. I was in the first 5. I got a copy of that letter. It was on the administrative side and the then Chief Justice took it on the judicial side and marked it to another relatively junior judge.”
During the interaction, he revealed that it was Justice Chelameswar who said, “Let us meet the press”. The Rajya Sabha MP observed, “What I understood by this expression is that let us meet some of the press people who come to the Supreme Court. Maybe they will be invited to the Supreme Court lodge or Justice Chelameswar’s home. I have said it very candidly in the book. I didn’t expect a press conference of this magnitude. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that I felt that the press conference or voicing your views in public was necessary.”
Maintaining that he was unaware of the ulterior motive of the press conference, the former CJI added, “The gates of Justice Chelameswar’s house were wide open. Who all came there, who could have come there or who should have come there is none of my business. (Senior advocate) Indira Jaising asked a question (on whether the judges’ request to Misra pertained to petitions seeking an independent probe into the death of Judge BH Loya in 2014). Yes, I was a little surprised that she was present there at the press conference. I have explained in my book- I could have avoided it. I could have answered it in a hundred different ways. But this is all in retrospect. At that moment, I answered the question by saying ‘Yes’.”
Career as CJI & nomination to Rajya Sabha
Ranjan Gogoi, the 46th CJI is the son of former Assam CM Kesab Chandra Gogoi. In his tenure lasting a little over 13 months, Gogoi delivered key judgments in cases such as the Ayodhya land dispute, the Rafale deal, contempt case against former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Sabarimala review verdict. After his retirement on November 17, 2019, Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde succeeded him as the next CJI.
On March 16, 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind nominated the ex-CJI to the Rajya Sabha. Three days later, the latter took oath as a member of the Upper House of Parliament even as the opposition parties staged a walkout. Gogoi’s nomination filled the vacancy caused due to the retirement of senior advocate KTS Tulsi, a nominated member. While nominated members enjoy all the powers, privileges, and immunities available to fellow parliamentarians, they cannot vote in the election of the President.
The full #GogoiSpeaksToArnab interview will be broadcast on Republic at 9 pm on Saturday.
Speaking exclusively to Republic’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi described the rationale for holding the unprecedented press conference as detailed in his recently released autobiography ‘Justice for the Judge’. Along with Justices Kurian Joseph, J Chelameswar and Madan Lokur, Gogoi had addressed a presser in the national capital on January 12, 2018 questioning the conduct of the then CJI Dipak Misra. On that occasion, they raised questions over the allocation of important cases in the Supreme Court. Explaining the nature of grievances prior to the press conference, Ranjan Gogoi remarked, “We told him Chief Justice, the (Judge Loya) case has been assigned to a relatively junior judge. If you can’t take it up, it should go to judge no.2, 3 in the order of seniority. Seniority has a very predominant role in the judiciary. Appointments are by seniority, precedents are by seniority. Even the car which comes to pick you up after court hours comes in the order of seniority. When you go out for official dinner, you go out in the order of seniority.” Lamenting that Misra refused to comply to this request, he elaborated, “Judge Loya was not the beginning, Judge Loya was the culmination. In my book, if you go through, it all started with Kalikho Pul, the Chief Minister of the state of Arunachal Pradesh who supposedly committed suicide. His wife addressed a letter on the administrative side to the Chief Justice and to the senior judges. I was in the first 5. I got a copy of that letter. It was on the administrative side and the then Chief Justice took it on the judicial side and marked it to another relatively junior judge.” During the interaction, he revealed that it was Justice Chelameswar who said, “Let us meet the press”. The Rajya Sabha MP observed, “What I understood by this expression is that let us meet some of the press people who come to the Supreme Court. Maybe they will be invited to the Supreme Court lodge or Justice Chelameswar’s home. I have said it very candidly in the book. I didn’t expect a press conference of this magnitude. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that I felt that the press conference or voicing your views in public was necessary.” Maintaining that he was unaware of the ulterior motive of the press conference, the former CJI added, “The gates of Justice Chelameswar’s house were wide open. Who all came there, who could have come there or who should have come there is none of my business. (Senior advocate) Indira Jaising asked a question (on whether the judges’ request to Misra pertained to petitions seeking an independent probe into the death of Judge BH Loya in 2014). Yes, I was a little surprised that she was present there at the press conference. I have explained in my book- I could have avoided it. I could have answered it in a hundred different ways. But this is all in retrospect. At that moment, I answered the question by saying ‘Yes’.” Career as CJI & nomination to Rajya Sabha Ranjan Gogoi, the 46th CJI is the son of former Assam CM Kesab Chandra Gogoi. In his tenure lasting a little over 13 months, Gogoi delivered key judgments in cases such as the Ayodhya land dispute, the Rafale deal, contempt case against former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Sabarimala review verdict. After his retirement on November 17, 2019, Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde succeeded him as the next CJI. On March 16, 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind nominated the ex-CJI to the Rajya Sabha. Three days later, the latter took oath as a member of the Upper House of Parliament even as the opposition parties staged a walkout. Gogoi’s nomination filled the vacancy caused due to the retirement of senior advocate KTS Tulsi, a nominated member. While nominated members enjoy all the powers, privileges, and immunities available to fellow parliamentarians, they cannot vote in the election of the President. The full #GogoiSpeaksToArnab interview will be broadcast on Republic at 9 pm on Saturday.