Itanagar: Contrary to the directive of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court India Altamas Kabir to appoint more fast track courts (FTCs) to expeditiously dispose of all pending court cases, particularly crimes against the women, the Gauhati High Court registry has terminated three additional district and sessions judges, namely Oying Apum, Goto Ete and Yumken Bagra.
‘It was a predetermined agenda as three of them recruited on merit through due recruitment process and interview conducted by the Gauhati HC registry would have qualified to become HC judges through their service record and channel within next three years,’ which they have claimed in a writ filed before the high court on February 5 last to seek justice.
Apum, a gold medallist in LLB from North Eastern Hills University (NEHU), Shillong in 1993 and the first woman law graduate from Arunachal Pradesh, served in state’s law department for 7 years, before appearing for the examination in 2001.
Bagra, a first class law graduate in 1981 and Ete, a first class law graduate in 1987, after practicing for 12 and 14 years respectively along with Apum appeared the examination.
Three of them after qualifying the recruitment examination on merit were appointed as additional deputy commissioner having the powers and functions of additional district and session’s judge on June 4, 2002, vide letter and they joined in July, 2002.
This is a pre conceived move as the registry in consultation with the state government had extended their contractual services till March 31, 2015.
As there of them are on contractual services with the state government, such injustice is shocking, said Lok Sabha member Takam Sanjoy said.
While the recruitment Rules No. 7 specifically has an enabling provision for regularisation of FTC judges, but intriguingly the HC registry even after seeking the ACRs of the three judges vide letter No. HC/VII:09/2008/1615/A besides property returns through the law department instead of considering their cases for regularization continued to avail their services on adhoc basis, the MP informed.
Interestingly, three of them appeared in the written examinations conducted by the Gauhati HC registry again on September 02, 2012 just within 24 days’ notice on August 07, 2012 from the date of fixation of written examination and they were called to appear for interview by the principal bench of the HC at Guwahati on November 22, 2012.
When three of them reported on time on the given date, they were told that their answer sheets were not checked.
They were also told that whosoever among them found securing qualifying marks in terms of the Supreme Court in the Brij Mohan Lal case would be called for interview, the MP claimed.
Shockingly, without consulting or intimating the government of Arunachal Pradesh, the termination letters dated January 7, 2013 were received by state’s law department as a bolt from the blue.
The HC registry in a hurry advertised on January 10, 2013 for vacancies arising out of the termination in Arunachal Pradesh FTCs through there was no vacancy for the same in the state governmnet. (UNI)