The petitioner stated that his plea, filed two years ago, was not listed earlier despite "dozens of reminder letters" sent by him to the Registry.
The Supreme Court today dismissed as infructuous a PIL seeking an in-house inquiry against former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, noting that the judge has now demitted office.
The PIL was filed by one Arun Ramachandra Hubalikar back in 2018, but came up for hearing only today, months after CJI Gogoi superannuated.
Before today's hearing began, the Bench informally observed that the prayer appears to be rendered infructuous. Nevertheless, the petitioner, appearing in person, sought to make his case.
He told the Bench of Justices Arun Mishra, BR Gavai, and Krishna Murari that the prayer sought was for the constitution of an in-house committee to take suitable action against Gogoi J.
He argued that the now retired CJI had, during his tenure as a Supreme Court judge, abused his office through acts of "commission and omission". He sought to cite orders passed by Gogoi J when in office which were allegedly marred by bias and impropriety.
The Supreme Court, however, in no uncertain terms, pointed out that with Gogoi J demitting office, the prayer is rendered infructuous and no such inquiry can be ordered now.
Justice Mishra also questioned the petitioner regarding the delay in the PIL, to which the petitioner responded that his petition filed two years ago was not listed earlier despite "dozens of reminder letters" sent by him to the Registry.
Justice Mishra expressed the Court's inability to grant the prayer and said,
"He has demitted office now. What can be done? Nothing can be done now... because he has demitted office, nothing remains in the petition. We cannot go into all that or consider this prayer now..."
The Court thus refused to entertain the PIL and dismissed it as infructuous.
