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Jammu & Kashmir High Court Slams The Hindu for Removing Roster System Article
The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on Tuesday raised very objection on a news report published in The Hindu newspaper that Justice Atul Sreedharan had gone on leave after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act cases and Habeas Corpus matters were shifted from its bench [Syed Meirajul Yasin vs Union of India].
A Division Bench composed of Hon’ble Justice Sreedharan and Hon’ble Justice Mohmmad Yousuf Wani directed the Registrar Judicial placing the matter before the Acting Chief Justice for passing of orders on whether the publishers held guilty of criminal contempt.
The Court described the news report that the roster was changed midway as being false, malicious and contemptuous and the same constitute interferences with the administration of justice.
“This Court is also disturbed by the incorrect factual aspect given in the social media post as well as in the newspaper that one of us (Atul Sreedharan-J) had gone on leave on account of the change in roster which is patently untrue as the said Judge had taken a casual leave on 02.09.2024 on account of medical reasons,” it further said .
The arrested man’s name featured on a news report taken down by The Hindu this afternoon after the court order came out.
Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wi ROI
The constitutional Bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Mohammad Yousuf Wani.
In his article published in the Monday news report, the Hindu had described the change in the roster as unique.
“Justice Sreedharan is considered to be astute with his observations and quite specific with directions,” the quoted report added Justice Sreedharan came into lime light when in several cases the judge was able to spot the drawbacks in the investigation and scolded the investigative agency For his outstanding performance as a Judge of the High Court he was appointed as the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in the year April, 2023
The Hindu news paper, dated 02 September 2024.
Accessed 02 September 2024, The Hindu.
But, in the order touched to on 03-09-2018 the Bench made it clear regarding the change of roster. It spoke with respect to the information presented to it by the Registrar General in regard to the decision arrived at on the 30 th of August.
It said that the NIA and Habeas Corpus matters were by way of order passed in appeal before Special Bench Justice Rajnesh Oswal, Justice Mohd Akram Chowdhary setting the appeals aside as separate as same being a matter of liberty and concern for the security of the country and in view of the sensitivity involved in these matters the NIA matters was treated as separate subject matters so that these matters be dealt speedily and expedit
Introducing organisational change to roaster, notice of change, Jammu And Kashmir High Court
Amendment of a list or a roster; Jammu and Kashmir High Court
The bench said that the kind of misrepresentation by media is not only an act of misleading the public, but also an act of eroding the public confidence in judicial institutions.
“The reasons attributed to one of us (Atul Sreedharan-J) in the social media post as to why the said Judge had gone on leave gives an impression that the said Judge had gone on protest leave against change of roster for cases This also gives an impression that the said Judge is interested in getting cases of a particular type to be listed before him and decided Such is a wrong and probable inference which flows from the article published in the
