Bench of Delhi HC rescues from review of CJI Chandrachud's appointment

New Delhi: Chief Justice (CJ) Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad of the Delhi High Court have recused themselves from hearing a review petition challenging appointment of Justice DY Chandrachud as the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

The matter will now be heard by a different bench on January 16, Monday.

Review petition was filed on Nov 11, 2022

The review petition was filed against an order of the High Court dated November 11, 2022, by which the petition challenging appointment of CJI Chandrachud was dismissed by the High Court.

The same bench of CJ Sharma and Justice Prasad who have recused today had passed the dismissal order then.

Court put fine of ₹1 lakh on petitioner

The Court in its November 11 order, had put a fine of ₹1 lakh on the petitioner, Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari, who is the president of an organisation named Gram Uday Foundation.

While dismissing the plea on November 11, the Court had said that a similar petition had already been dismissed by the Supreme Court and so the petitioner chose to come to High Court.

The bench said that camouflaging the same issue as a fresh cause, which reflects on his oblique motive and highlights credentials of the Petitioner which are questionable.

The Court had cited it as a classic case of an action without a cause, full of surmises, conjectures and wishful thinking.