SC dismisses plea for removal of Andhra HC judge

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of Justice N V Ramana as a judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court on the ground that a criminal case was pending against him at the time of his elevation to the bench.

A bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam also imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the petitioner who had sought quashing of appointment of the judge.

The court passed the order on a PIL filed by one M Manohar Reddy who had alleged that appointment of Justice Ramana was unconstitutional and illegal.

The petitioner had alleged that Justice Ramana, at the time of his appointment, was a proclaimed offender in a case of rioting and destruction of public property in 1981 when he was a student of Nagarjuna University.

Justice Ramana was elevated as permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on June 27, 2000.