Court relocation row: Bar chief seeks judge’s recusal over Facebook ‘like’

Guwahati, April 10: As the controversy over the proposed shifting of the Gauhati High Court to North Guwahati has set off a legal battle after the Advocate General filed contempt cases against senior lawyers, Gauhati High Court Bar Association president KN Choudhury today told the court that the judge who "liked" a social media news item on the contempt cases should recluse himself from the case.

As soon as the court proceedings began today, KN Choudhury made the submission before the bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N Unni Krishnan Nair who are hearing the contempt petitions.

Advocate General Devajit Saikia had filed the contempt petitions under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, alleging that the respondent lawyers made derogatory and defamatory remarks against a judge, the high court and registry while protesting against the proposed shifting of the high court to North Guwahati. The bench heard both sides or over one and half hour yesterday in a packed courtroom.

In his submission today, Choudhury, who was also made respondent in the contempt cases, today pointed out that Justice Nair had liked a news item in a social media under the caption 'criminal contempt cases filed against a section of lawyers of the bar association'.

"The post has been liked (on Facebook) by Justice Unni Krishnan Nair, who is adjudicating this case. His lordship should recluse from the case," Choudhury said in his submission.

Meanwhile, the Chief Justice has directed that the cases where senior advocate Devajit Saikia is engaged as counsel should not be listed before the bench of Justice Suman Shyam, an order from the registry said.

The division bench yesterday reserved its ruling on the two criminal contempt petitions filed by Advocate General Saikia against senior lawyers of the high court.