New Delhi: Charging the government with
misleading the people on the issue of dealing with corruption
in higher judiciary through the Judges Bill, Team Anna today
reverted back to its original demand of brining the judiciary
under the ambit of Lokpal.
Associates of activist Anna Hazare said here that they
had withdrawn their demand for brining the higher judiciary
under the ambit of the proposed Lokpal institution after they
were assured that investigation into corruption and
prosecution of senior judges will be dealt with separately by
the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill.
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan said while the Bill, introduced
last year in Lok Sabha, does not deal with investigation into
corruption and prosecution of Supreme Court and High Court
judges, they had hoped either the government or some retired
judges would submit before the Parliamentary Standing
Committee scrutinising the Bill to recommend including the
point.
"But unfortunately no one placed this view...the country
was misled... We revert back to our original position that the
judiciary must remain within the investigative ambit of the
Lokpal," he said.
Former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan dubbed the Bill as a
"great fraud" on the nation.
Members of Team Anna also questioned the report of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice and
Personnel which scrutinised the Bill saying one of its
recommendations has compromised the independence of the
judiciary.
PTI
First Published: Monday, September 12, 2011, 20:09