Judge’s impeachment to be delayed

The process of impeachment of Calcutta High Court judge Soumitra Sen has run into rough weather with one judge withdrawing from the three-member committee probing the allegations of misappropriation of monies against him.

The process of impeachment of Calcutta High Court judge Soumitra Sen has run into rough weather with one judge withdrawing from the three-member committee probing the allegations of misappropriation of monies against him.

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Justice DK Jain of Supreme Court is believed to have withdrawn from the panel that also includes Punjab & Haryana High Court Chief Justice TS Thakur and jurist Fali S Nariman.

It wasn’t immediately known why Jain chose to withdraw. But his decision further delays the process of Sen’s removal as the government now has to fill the vacancy.

The process of Sen’s removal started with Chief Justice of India KG Balkrishnan writing to the PM in August 2008 that the government initiate proceedings to remove him after an in-house committee of the Supreme Court indicted him for corruption and impropriety.

Subsequently, 58 Rajya Sabha members filed an impeachment motion against Sen, who allegedly misappropriated money received in his capacity as official liquidator appointed by the Calcutta HC.