Government has made record appointments of judges: Ravi Shankar Prasad

NEW DELHI: Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has rubbished charges levelled by retired Supreme Court judge J Chelameswar in the Judge Krishna Bhatt case and emphasised that the Narendra Modi government has made an unprecedented number of appointments of judges since 2014.

“I would like to be very specific that Justice Chelameswar’s letter marked to all judges questioning our stand had been made public. A sitting lady officer working in the subordinate judiciary had made very serious complaint of sexual harassment against Justice Krishna Bhat. And inspite of repeated complaints to the HC chief justice, CJI, PM, President and me, no fair inquiry had been done in which she had been heard,” Prasad told ET. He emphasised that this was a complete violation of the Vishaka guideline and natural justice and forced him to take a stand.

“When it was made public that I am trying to delay it (Bhatt’s elevation) inspite of inquiry, I took a firm stand that till the judge in question is exonerated in a fair inquiry, in which the victim lady judge is also made to participate, he shall not be appointed because it would be gross impropriety when a district judge suffering such a serious accusation should be elevated to a high constitutional office,” the minister said.


The minister claimed that despite the one-and-a-half-year delay due to the hearing in the NJAC case, the Modi government has appointed 325 judges at various levels. Of these, 17 are Supreme Court judges while more than 250 additional judges were confirmed.