Planned move against judiciary; 21 retired judges write to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud 

Judiciary is one of the strong pillars of Indian democracy. Courts are the avenues through which any Indian citizen can approach against wrongdoings by the ones in power. Even if it is a law passed by the Parliament, the Supreme Court has the power to cancel it if it is not in accordance with the essence of the Constitution. It is a well-known fact that after the emergence of Public Interest Litigation etc., various courts have been able to actively intervene in people's problems and solve many of them. It is natural that cases involving political leaders, super rich etc. grab public attention. Various reports related to such cases will be published in the media and social media.

Some of these may shed light on the truth. Others may be deliberately fabricated to cover up the truth. It is said that none of this should influence the courts, but some reports and campaigns criticizing the courts are going to put pressure on the judges as social beings. The Constitution does not say that judgment should not be criticized. However, the person who wrote the verdict should not be insulted. If it is allowed in the name of freedom of expression, the very existence of the courts will be in jeopardy. First of all, no judge is free to answer the charges against him. That is why no one in the know abuses the judges who hear and pass judgments. However, many contrary trends have been seen recently.

Those who feel they have not got justice from a court can approach the higher courts. What they should not do is indirectly cast aspersions on the court which gave the verdict. Such moves should be nipped in the bud. 21 retired judges have written to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud alleging that there is a deliberate move by vested interests to destroy the sanctity of the judiciary by public humiliation and pressure, which should be taken seriously. The letter says that groups with narrow political and personal interests are trying to undermine public confidence in the justice system. The letter also pointed out that immediate intervention of the Chief Justice is required to prevent this. The letter has been signed by 21 people including retired Supreme Court judges Deepak Verma, Krishnamurari, MR Shah and retired Kerala High Court Justice PN Ravindran.

Earlier, more than 600 lawyers had sent a letter sharing the same concern. When retired judges make the same allegation, it cannot be overlooked that it is also in the light of their experience. Although no one's name was mentioned, it is noteworthy that the letter came on the day when the Supreme Court considered the petition filed by Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal against his arrest in the liquor policy case. Another serious allegation in the letter is that the external powers are making efforts to make the court take a favourable position in the cases of interest of them. In view of this, it can be expected that there will be no delay on the part of the Supreme Court in taking urgent action to maintain the independent character of the judiciary and prevent the spread of false information.