New Delhi: Lok Sabha will drop impeachment proceedings against Justice Soumitra Sen, originally scheduled for Monday.
The decision was taken at a meeting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had with Law Minister Salman Khurshid and
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal.
Speaker Meira Kumar also consulted the government and
political parties over the issue in the morning.
"There will be no impeachment as the process has now
become infructuous after Sen's resignation was accepted," a
senior minister said speaking on the condition of anonymity.
He was asked whether Sen's impeachment as listed in Lok
Sabha business for today, will be taken up.
"I have to consult because there have been new
developments. I will be talking," the Speaker had told
reporters outside Parliament before the House commenced.
Government had yesterday notified the resignation of
Justice Sen of the Calcutta High Court.
In the normal course, such a notification is not required
since the resignation of a constitutional authority is deemed
to be accepted if it is in order.
Attorney General G E Vahanvati had opined on Friday
that impeachment proceedings, having already been completed in
the Rajya Sabha, should be completed by the other house.
This opinion appeared to be based on the premise that the
resignation letter faxed by Sen to Rashtrapati Bhavan on
Thursday could not be taken cognisance of since such letters
must be written in the hand of the judge as per Art 217 (a) of
the Constitution.
Sen had later sent his handwritten letter to the
President on Saturday paving the way for dropping the
impeachment motion in Lok Sabha against him.
PTI
First Published: Monday, September 05, 2011, 11:16