SC Stays Gujarat HC Notice on Plot Allotment for Judges
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Gujarat High Court order issuing notices to its sitting and former judges and also a sitting apex court judge over the allotment of residential plots to them by the state government in Ahmedabad’s high-end Sola area.
“The High Court was in mortal hurry. This should not have happened. Let the order be stayed. Let us see what can be done,” a bench headed by Chief Justice of India(CJI) H L Dattu said.
The HC had on Tuesday also referred the matter to a larger Bench after framing a set of questions related to its suo motu PIL on the issue.
The apex court issued notices to the Gujarat government, Judges Cooperative Society and Registrar of the High Court, seeking their response within four weeks on a petition challenging the HC order.
The apex court also allowed the deletion of names of sitting and former judges who were made respondents in the PIL and were issued notices. The petition challenging the High Court order was filed by one of the retired HC Judges for whom senior counsel Harish Salve appeared and sought urgent intervention.
Salve questioned the hurry shown by the HC in entertaining a letter by turning it into PIL over allotment of plots which was made several years ago.
The SC also allowed Gujarat High Court Bar Association to be impleaded as party in a petition before it.