Notice against Rajasthan chief justice stayed

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed a show cause notice issued to Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice M G Mukherjee by Justice B J Sethna of the same court.

The apex court also stayed some critical observations made by Justice Sethna against Mukherjee for taking away from him a public interest petition regarding allotment of government accommodation to judges of the high court.

The interim stay orders were passed by a dvision bench comprising Justice A S Anand and Justice K Venkataswami on a petition by Mukherjee challenging the show cause notice.

Earlier, Solicitor General T R Andhyarujina, appearing for Mukherjee, submitted before the court that it was a well-settled principle of law that a judge of a superior court was not liable for contempt for anything done by him in his judicial capacity.

The court observed that in view of importance of the questions of law raised in the special leave petition filed by the state of Rajasthan and this petition, the matter should be heard by a three-judge bench of the apex court. The registry was directed by the court to place this matter before the chief justice for constitution of a three-judge bench.