‘Not inclined to grant any relief, petition is dismissed’

Bombay HC dismisses PIL seeking action against Vice President

Dhankhar and Union Law Minister Rijiju

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation filed against Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for their remarks on judiciary and the collegium system for appointment of judges.

The plea filed by Bombay Lawyers Association had claimed Rijiju and Dhankhar showed lack of faith in the Constitution with their remarks and conduct. It had sought for orders to restrain Dhankhar from discharging duty as the vice president, and Rijiju from discharging duty as cabinet minister for the central government.

The PIL claimed the “frontal attack not just on the judiciary but the Constitution” by the two executive officials has lowered the prestige of the Supreme Court in public.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep Marne briefly heard the petitioner’s lawyer, Ahmed Abdi, and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh for the respondents.

“We are not inclined to grant any relief. The petition is dismissed. Reasons would be recorded later,” the court said.

While Abdi argued that Dhankhar and Rijiju had lowered the reputation of the judici-