Chennai: There was high drama in the Madras High Court on Wednesday when a judge entered a jampacked court room where a bench was hearing a PIL seeking withdrawal of names recommended for appointment as additional judges and said the selection was "not fair".
"This selection is not fair. I will file an affidavit against it in my own name. I am also a part of Judiciary. Please note it down," Justice CS Karnan said and walked out of the court hall even before the special bench, comprising Justice V Dhanapalan and Justice KK Sasidharan could react.
A Collegium of High Court judges had recommended 12 names, out of which 10 were selected from the Bar, for appointment as additional judges.
The special bench was constituted today by Chief Justice R K Agrawal after another bench, comprising Justice S Rajeswsaran and Justice P N Prakash, which had heard the arguments on the PIL filed by senior Advocate R Gandhi against acceptability of the list, recused themselves.
The Madras High Court Advocates Association, which had announced a boycott of court proceedings today protesting the list, had allowed only this case to be heard.
Justice Karnan incident unfolded barely moments after Justice Dhanapalan expressed anger over the conduct of some MHAA advocates who had allegedly barged into his court and raised slogans in the morning.
Even as he was condemning their conduct, a lawyer interrupted him and said the entire judiciary kept quiet when police entered court rooms and attacked advocates and judges on February 19, 2009. The advocate was then led out by his colleagues.
However, arguments on the PIL against the list of names, continued nevertheless.
