New Delhi: Justice J. Chelameswar, the senior most judge in the Supreme Court, on Thursday while refusing to hear the petition filed by senor advocate and former law minister observed, “I don’t want to retire amid a tirade against me that I want to grab some office”. When counsel Prashant Bhushan made a mention before him for hearing the PIL filed by his father, Justice Chelameswar in an apparent reference to the talks and in the media that he wanted to become the Chief Justice of India said, “Two months before my retirement, I don’t want it to be said that I am doing certain things because I want to grab some office.”
Mr. Bhushan told Justice Chelameswar that the PIL had sought recusal of the CJI both in the administrative and judicial side. He pointed out that the PIL has challenged the CJI’s power to set up benches and, thus, it would be appropriate if Justice Chelameswar, being the most senior judge, issues suitable directive to the court registry for listing it. But Justice Chelameswar said, “For reasons too obvious ...I would not want to deal with this case. You have to understand my difficulty.”
