New Delhi: A Rajya Sabha committee was
today told that Calcutta High Court Justice Soumitra Sen,
who is facing inquiry for his alleged involvement in financial
irregularities, had "misappropriated" over Rs 33 lakhs before
being elevated to the Bench, a charge denied by the judge.
"Justice Sen, before being appointed as the Judge, has
misappropriated the funds to the tune of Rs 33.22 lakhs as a
court-appointed receiver," senior advocate Sidhartha Luthra
told a three-member inquiry committee of the Upper House.
Advancing final arguments before the committee,
comprising Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, Chief
Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court Mukul Mudgal and
noted jurist Fali S Nariman, Luthra said "some questions
regarding the allegations could be best answered by the judge
in question himself."
The findings of the committee, which had started its
inquiry proceedings on the advice of the then Chief Justice K
G Balakrishan, would decide the fate of the proposed
impeachment motion against Justice Sen in the Rajya Sabha.
Luthra, assisting the inquiry committee, which was set
up by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, read out various
entries of bank accounts held by Justice Sen in his personal
and professional capacity as the court-appointed receiver and
highlighted the alleged discrepancies.
Asked by Nariman how the allegations of
misappropriation of funds could be substantiated, the counsel
said, "Over Rs 57 lakh was deposited by Justice Sen in the
receiver`s account, but there was no evidence as to from where
that money came."
"The judge in question never complied with the HCorder asking him to reveal the source of deposited money as
most of his bank accounts, held in personal and professional
capacities, had become dormant by then," Luthra said.
Justice Sen has denied the charges brought against
him.
The committee would continue its hearing tomorrow.
PTI
