Karunanidhi put up loyalists for judges: Markandey Katju

Chennai:Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju said on Sunday that the DMK had put so much pressure to allow Justice Ashok Kumar to continue in office that they even threatened to topple the government of India. 

 

Speaking to Thanthi TV in a freewheeling interview, Justice Katju said, “I cannot tell you how much pressure was put on me. Karunanidhi had made it a prestige issue.” 

Justice Katju said that although he had reliable information on the corrupt practices of Justice Ashok Kumar, he had requested for an independent IB inquiry to confirm the facts. “He so brazen about his corrupt activities. Justice Ashok Kumar had so much support from the DMK that he thought he could get away with anything,” the former SC judge said. 

 

Passing sweeping allegations against DMK chief M Karunanidhi, Justice Katju said he had been under tremendous pressure from DMK seniors bringing lists of names to be appointed as judges. Some of them in the lists were not even active lawyers and it appeared that they wanted to pack the court with party persons, he said.

 

In contrast, the AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa did not interfere with the functioning of the judiciary during her CM term. “Throughout my term as CJ of Madras High Court, I had no interference from Jayalalithaa”, Justice Katju said. He recalled that he had lauded her for her non-interference when he recently met her in his capacity as the chairman of the Press Council of India to request for grant of allowances for retired judges.

 

When pointed out that on one occasion during the AIADMK rule, he had pulled up the state officials for not appearing before the courts, Justice Katju said it was possible that those officials were acting on their own and the CM was not aware.