Justice Akil Kureshi: Gujarat High Court Bar resolves to meet Law Minister, file petition in Supreme Court
The Gujarat High Court Advocates Association (GHCAA) has resolved to form a committee of ten advocates to meet the Union Law Minister to make a representation to notify the appointment of Justice Akil Kureshi as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The committee meeting the Law Minister will consist of five office bearers of the GHCAA and five Senior Advocates who will be nominated by the GHCAA President Yatin Oza.
The resolution passed yesterday further states that if the representation to the Law Minister does not yield positive results, the High Court Bar will go on a one-day token strike and also file a petition in the Supreme Court under Article 32 on the subject.
The resolution empowers the Bar President to engage Senior Advocates and AoR to conduct the case in Supreme Court.
The GHCAA has remained steadfast in its support for Justice Kureshi.
When Justice Kureshi was transferred from Gujarat to Bombay High Court last year, thereby denying him the opportunity to become the Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, the GHCAA had gone on a strike and had also met the Chief Justice of India to convey its opposition to transfer Justice Kureshi to Bombay High Court.
The strike was called off after the CJI assured co-operation and constructive results.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the name of Akil Kureshi J. for appointment as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 10.
On the final day before the declaration of 2019 General election results, the Central government issued twelve notifications clearing appointments of judges to various High Courts and the Supreme Court.
This included four appointments to the Supreme Court (even though the Supreme Court was shut for vacation) and two appointments as Chief Justices of High Courts of two States.
However, conspicuous again was the absence of notification clearing the name of Justice Akil Kureshi for appointment as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Things escalated when on June 7, the Central government notified the appointment of Justice Ravi Shanker Jha as acting Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court thereby signalling that it was in no mood to clear the file of Justice Kureshi.
GHCAA President Yatin Oza had lashed out at the Central government saying that Justice Kureshi was being singled out for an order passed by Kureshi J. in 2010 remanding current Union Home Minister Amit Shah to police custody.
“…what else is it other than a personal score to be settled?”, he had asked.
[Read GHCAA Resolution]