‘Very disturbing’: SC stays Lokpal ruling on hearing complaints against High Court judges

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a Lokpal order that said it has the power to entertain complaints against High Court judges, Live Law reported.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, Surya Kant and Abhay S Oka took cognisance of the order from January 27, and issued notice to the Centre, the Lokpal and the complainant in the matter. Gavai said that the Lokpal’s reasoning was “something very disturbing”.

On January 27, the anti-corruption ombudsman had said that “it will be too naive to argue that a Judge of a High Court will not come within the ambit of expression ‘any person’ in clause (f) of Section 14(1) of the (Lokpal) Act of 2013”.

Section 14 of the Act deals with the jurisdiction of the anti-corruption body.

A bench of the Lokpal headed by former Supreme Court judge AM Khanwilkar did not go into the merits of the allegations against the High Court judge. The complainant has accused the High Court judge of trying to influence an additional district judge and another High Court to pass an order in favour of a private company in a suit.

The identity of the judge and the name of the High Court were redacted from the Lokpal order.

“We make it amply clear that by this order we have…

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