New Delhi: Most of the 43 names the government returned to the Supreme Court collegium recommended by it for appointment as judges in six high courts were from Uttar Pradesh.
But not all names returned were for reconsideration, sources in the government said. In some cases, the names were returned as the government wanted certain ‘clarification’.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told a Supreme Court bench that the Centre has cleared 34 names out of the 77 recommended by the collegium for appointment as judges in various high courts in the country.
The sources said separate panels 43 names were returned to the collegium in the past 10 days either with a request to reconsider or seeking ‘clarification’.
Out of the 43 names, some have been cleared, but as per established practice, the entire panel or file is returned to the collegium if a clarification is sought on some names or some names are returned for reconsideration in case of complaints against them.
Two panels of 19 and eight names respectively were sent to the government by the collegium for appointment as judges in the Allahabad High Courts. While some of the names have been cleared, both the panels were returned as the government wanted some clarification on some candidates.
In the cases of Karnataka high courts, the panel was returned as government wanted the collegium to reconsider some names as there were complaints against them.
Some names for appointment of judges in the Uttarakhand High Court were also returned due to various reasons, the sources said. The government also apprised the bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur that as of now no file with regard to the recommendations for appointment as judges is pending with it.
Rohatgi said the Centre has already sent the fresh draft Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for consideration of the collegium on August 3 but so far no response has been received by the government.
The bench then said that it would convene a meeting of the collegium, which comprises four senior judges besides CJI, on November 15.–PTI
