Jaipur, 03 Sept: The Rajasthan High Court has issued a show-cause notice to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in connection with a public interest lawsuit (PIL) seeking suo moto criminal contempt proceedings against him for allegations about “corruption” in the judiciary.
Following Gehlot’s comments claiming corruption in the country’s court, local counsel Shivcharan Gupta launched a lawsuit.
On Saturday, a division bench led by Justices MM Shrivastava and Ashutosh Kumar heard the case and issued a notice to Gehlot, instructing him to answer within three weeks.
“Contents of statement, if made by respondent (Gehlot), prima facie make out a case that tends to scandalise the Courts because it does not refer to any particular case or category of cases, but is general in nature against the judiciary as a whole,” the Court was cited as saying.
On Wednesday, the Chief Minister told reporters in Jaipur, “Corruption is rampant in the judiciary today. I’ve heard that some attorneys take the decision in writing and have the same judgment declared.”
However, in response to criticism, Congress leader Gehlot stated that what he said was not his own perspective and that he has always respected and believed in the judiciary. Work was disrupted in Jodhpur’s lower and high courts on Friday when attorneys staged a one-day walkout in response to Gehlot’s statement.
In response to the announcement, attorneys in Jodhpur, where the main bench of the Rajasthan High Court is headquartered, declared a daylong strike in all courts.
