By Srishti Ojha: The Supreme Court will on Friday pronounce the verdict on a plea filed challenging the promotion of 68 judicial officers, including Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Harish Hasmukhbhai Varma, who convicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for criminal defamation and sentenced him to two years of imprisonment.
The plea, filed by two judicial officers of the senior civil judge cadre, challenges the promotion of these judicial officers to district judges by way of the 65 per cent quota rule.
The plea had argued that the post of district judge as per the recruitment rules was to be filled by keeping the 65 per cent reservation on the basis of merit-cum-seniority, and passing a suitability test. However, merit-cum-seniority principle was given the go-by and the appointments were made on the basis of the seniority-cum-merit.
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The petitioners had sought for setting aside the selection list issued by the Gujarat High Court on March 10 and subsequent notification of the state government of appointing them.
They had also sought for directing the high court to prepare a “fresh merit list” based on the principle of merit-cum-seniority.
A bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar had issued a notice in the plea on April 13.
The bench had also asked the high court to place the “entire merit list on record” and to specify on whether the promotions to the post were to be given on the basis of the seniority-cum-merit or the merit-cum-seniority.
WHO IS JUDGE VERMA WHO CONVICTED RAHUL GANDHI?
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a metropolitan magistrate court in Surat in the ‘Modi surname’ case. Judge Harish Hasmukhbhai Verma heard the case. He is posted as the CJM in Surat’s District and Sessions Court.
According to a report by Aaj Tak, 43-year-old Justice Verma has 10 years of experience in judicial service. He is a resident of Vadodara and has studied Law from Maharaja Sayaji Rao University.
After completing LLB, he appeared for the judicial service exam and was appointed as a judicial officer in 2008. On the orders of the Gujarat High Court, CJM Harish Hasmukh Bhai Verma heard Rahul’s case on priority and gave this verdict.
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