Above: Supreme Court of India (Photo: Anil Shakya)

Another name sent up to the government by the Supreme Court Collegium for consideration for judgeship has been held back. This lawyer is from the Allahabad High Court bar and his name was recommended for judgeship of the court.

It has now been found that some criminal charges were filed against this lawyer.

While this is a lawyer under a suspicion cloud, last month it was a scandal of huge proportions when it was found that a district judge, recommended for elevation as a judge of the Allahabad HC had, in fact, taken a bribe of Rs 10 crore (also divided among lawyers in the “deal”) to grant bail to rape-accused former UP minister Gayatri Prajapati.

This incident came to light through an IB report and the recommendation was hastily withdrawn.

Both the above were part of at least 20 lawyers and over half a dozen judicial officers that the Collegium had sent up for consideration to the government. This list was sent a year ago.

—India Legal Bureau