Group of lawyers demands probe into ‘illegal acts’ of CJI Ramana

Several mediators and arbitrators have urged the central government for a probe into the “illegal acts” of Chief Justice of India (CJI) N. V. Ramana for his alleged role in the setting up of the Hyderabad-based International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC), reports ThePrint.
As many as 65 legal professionals, arbitrators and mediators, including Sriram Panchu, a senior advocate at the Madras High Court, have signed the representation dated 15 August.
ThePrint has a copy of the representation. The centre was established under a trust “formed” by Justice Ramana, and that he is also the author of the deed of the public charitable trust, they claimed, adding that Justice Hima Kohli and the recently retired L. Nageswara Rao were trustees.
While the former is a sitting Supreme Court judge, the latter’s last day in office was 7 June. The controversy comes at a time when Justice Ramana will be demitting office on 26 August.
CJI Ramana had inaugurated the IAMC in December last year in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekar Rao at Nanakramguda on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
The representation claimed that the CJI was “promoting the centre and using his official position to solicit business for the centre”. “Justice Ramana has obtained large financial benefits from the government of Telangana amounting to approximately Rs 250 crore, by obtaining 5 acres of land at Hi-Tech city” for the centre, it alleged.
Through such actions, it claimed, Justice Ramana has ventured into a “business activity of administering arbitration and mediation for commercial matters by charging a fee, while occupying his position as the Chief Justice of India”, which goes against the Code of Conduct for judges.