Justice A R Lakshmanan, who recused from hearing a case last week, was today given a farewell by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) a day before he retires as the apex court judge. The episode of the “anonymous letter”, however, appeared to follow him even on his last day in office.At the function, an SCBA member, who was asked to read Justice Lakshmanan’s message, made a mention about the letter the judge had received in his house.“When I was asked to read the message of Justice Lakshmanan I thought it was the threat letter,” he said in a lighter vein but it did not go well with some of the office-bearers. The function was attended by SCBA president M N Krishnamani, general secretary K C Kaushik,Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan besides other members of the apex court, law officers and members of the Bar.The Chief Justice refused to comment on the issue when his view was sought after the function on whether it was correct for a judge to recuse himself from the matter if any such threat letter was received by him. “I have no comments,” he said.With tears in his eyes and breaking down with emotion, the judge had on Friday last refused to hear a review petition of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mula-yam Singh Yadav’s son Akhilesh Yadav telling a shocked court that he had received an anonymous letter levelling allegations against him.The next day he said the “chapter is closed”. Krishnamani spoke about the various facets of Justice Lakshmanan’s life as a judge, laywer and human being.
