HC judge quits, denies DDA link

Jusitce Shameet Mukherjee of the Delhi High Court resigned today and denied reports that his resignation is related to the Delhi Development...

Jusitce Shameet Mukherjee of the Delhi High Court resigned today and denied reports that his resignation is related to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) bribery scandal which has rocked the Capital. Justice Mukherjee told The Indian Express that he had sent his resignation to Chief Justice P C Patel this morning and cited his wife’s ‘‘ill health’’ as the reason.

He said all the talk about his alleged connection with Dharamveer Khattar, a ‘middleman’ and one of the five accused in the DDA scam, was ‘‘baseless.’’ ‘‘I was never a DDA judge,’’ he added, implying he had never adjudicated DDA cases. ‘‘I have nothing to do with the DDA scam. There is no connection between me and any of the DDA officials under the scanner of CBI,’’ he said.

‘‘I was one week away from being confirmed as judge of the high court. So, I thought if I become a judge and then resign, I will not be entitled to practice in the Delhi high court,’’ Justice Mukherjee said.

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‘‘My wife is suffering from progressive paralysis which has been deteriorating,’’ he said. He added he could not put in the extra hours at work due to his wife’s illness. ‘‘I have been an additional judge for one year and three months and from September last year, 125 cases have been pending in my court,’’ he said.

Mukherjee who was appointed judge on January 16, 2002, had been standing counsel for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in the High Court.

Asked about his sudden decision to resign, Mukherjee said he was prompted to take the step following the death of his brother-in-law a few days ago. He too had been suffering from a similar disease. So, he decided to spend more time with his wife.

Muherjee said he has led a transparent life. ‘‘I must have been the most popular judge in the court,’’ he said.

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However, the Secretary of the Delhi High Court Bar Association, D K Sharma said: ‘‘If these charges are correct, then the allegations against the judiciary are very shocking.’’ According to him, the Bar Association would be meeting within a week to decide whether they would go so far as to demand a probe. ‘‘These developments are very disturbing,’’ he added.

On March 26, the CBI raided senior-most officials of the DDA, including vice-chairman Subhash Sharma. The raids were carried out at the offices and the residences of Sharma, Commissioner (land disposal) Anand Sharan, Commissioner (planning) Vijay Risbud and Director (lands) Jagdish Chander in a favour-for-money scandal involving a Delhi builder. Following the raids, Lt. Governor of Delhi Vijai Kapoor recommended the removal of Sharma.