SC to start a special hearing tomorrow over judge vs judge row in Calcutta HC

Five senior judges of the Supreme Court, including Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, will hear the case at 10:30 am.

In an unprecedented instance, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay accused his colleague, Justice Soumen Sen who presided over a division bench that stayed a single-judge order for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into medical admission irregularities, of working for the ruling political party in Bengal.

Justice Sen stayed an order passed by Justice Gangopadhyay, who had ordered a probe by the CBI into allegations of fake caste certificates being issued in Bengal.

However, after his order was stayed by Justice Sen's division bench, Justice Gangopadhyay took up the matter again and ordered the CBI to take up the probe.

In his later order, Justice Gangopadhyay not only ignored the Division Bench's order but also asked for a relook by the Supreme Court into the orders passed by Justice Sen whom he accused of working for a political party.

"Justice Sen is clearly working for some political party in this state. Therefore, if the Honorable Supreme Court thinks so, then there is a need to re-look at the orders passed in cases related to the state. What Justice Sen has done today is to further his personal interest to save some political party in power in this state. Therefore, his actions clearly amount to misconduct," Justice Gangopadhyay said.

Justice Gangopadhyay also questioned why Justice Sen remained a Calcutta High Court judge despite a Supreme Court Collegium recommending his transfer in 2021.

In his order, Justice Gangopadhyay revealed a purported private chat between judges.

He alleged that Justice Sen called Justice Amrita Sinha to his chambers on the last day before the recent court vacation and told her that Abhishek Banerjee has a political future and that he shouldn't be disturbed.