The Kejriwal government’s proposal to allow even and odd number cars to ply in Delhi on alternate days from January 1 in a bid to curb rising air pollution got support from unexpected quarters with Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur saying there is nothing wrong in such an idea.
Speaking to the media, Chief Justice Thakur said, “Judges have no problem with odd-even formula of the Delhi government.”
The Supreme Court judges, he added, want to help in curbing air pollution in the national capital and said he wouldn’t mind pooling a car with brother judges or even boarding a bus to reach the court. “If a judge of the Supreme Court can pool cars (with brother judges), it sends a message to the people that we have no problem. We would love to do so if it helps to reduce pollution. There is no difficulty in this idea. I think this is the bare minimum which we can do. People may call it a sacrifice. This is not sacrifice. This is symbolic to show that judges are doing it.”
Chief Justice Thakur made it clear that deviant behaviour of judges or corruption in judiciary cannot be tolerated and whatever action under the rules will be initiated. “I will take all the necessary steps to cleanse the system if anything comes to my notice. If there is anything suspect or doubtful against a judge, it is a cause for concern and may have to be dealt with.”
Pointing out that a system is in place to conduct enquiries against judges, he said, “the idea is to bring the guilty to book.”
Asked about the conduct of Justice C.S. Karnan of the Madras high court sending complaints against the high court Chief Justice to the President and the National Commission for SC/ST, the CJI said “I am not going into the individual judges. Whether he is in Kanyakumari or in Kashmir, if there is a deviant behaviour we will take note of it.”
