Morally correct judges must for judiciary: ACJ of Hyderabad High Court

Hyderabad: Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan of Hyderabad High Court on Friday said the rectitude of judges was the foundation on which the edifice of an independent judiciary was built.

After hoisting the Nati-onal Flag on the court promises on Republic Day, he said: “Let us draw inspiration from and try to emulate judges who placed the interest of institution far above their own.”

He said that possibly the first test to the independency of Indian judiciary was near the end of the fourth year of the Indian Republic when on the eve of then Chief Justice Patanjali Sastry’s retirement on January 3, 1954, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru asked Justice Bijon Kumar Mukharjee to take over as the Chief Justice of India.

Justice Mukharjee politely declined on the ground that Justice Mehar Chand Mahajan was senior to him. When Pandit Nehru pressed him, Justice Mukharjee said he would sooner resign, than assume the highest office before his turn, ACJ said.

“It was only after Justice M.C. Mahajan retired as Chief Justice, did Justice Mukharjee assume office as fourth Chief Justice of India,” the ACJ said.

Telangana Advocate-General D. Prakash Reddy and his AP counterpart Dammalapati Srinivas appealed to the legal fraternity to work for speedy disposal of the cases.