According to media reports, around 60 members of the Rajya Sabha have made a fresh plea to initiate the impeachment of Justice Nagarjuna Reddy of the high court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
He is accused of interfering in the judicial proceedings and making caste slurs, including death threats, against a Dalit Junior Civil Judge Sanku Rama Krishna in Rayachoti, in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.
MPs of various parties, including BJP, SP, BSP, CPI(M), TDP and the Congress have signed the motion, that has been submitted to Vice President Hamid Ansari.
This is the second time that MPs have moved against the judge of the High Court for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They had earlier submitted a motion for impeachment in December last year. But the proceedings were not initiated against him, as 19 out of the 61 signatories withdrew.
The aborted motion said that Reddy’s brother had set his domestic help Ramanjlu on fire, as he withdrew his cooperation to cover up a sandalwood smuggling. The judge had allegedly called up civil judge Rama Krishan, who took the dying declaration, to remove his brother’s name.
In India, High Court judges can only be removed by the process of impeachment. The law requires that a minimum of 50 Rajya Sabha MPs or 100 Lok Sabha MPs should sign to initiate the impeachment proceedings against a judge
