SC upholds removal of tainted civil judge

The Supreme Court has upheld the removal from service of a judicial officer from Madhya Pradesh on corruption charges.

A bench comprising Justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar, while dismissing the appeal of Dinesh Chandra Pandey noted, ‘He belongs to a service which is looked upon by the public at large as a servant cadre of high integrity and professional values.

‘The Judges are expected to apply stringent social and moral value to their standard of living.

‘It was expected of the appellant to disclose all true and correct information and documents in his power and possession before the inquiry officer.

‘It was not required of him to withhold relevant material and take such a defence which could not be substantiated during the course of departmental inquiry.’ Pandey was appointed as Civil Judge in Madhya Pradesh Judicial Services on January 27, 1982. He was charge sheeted on December 7, 1988 for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

His bank balance in January 1984 was Rs 2,170 which swelled to Rs 36,036 in May 6, 1985.

His defence was that he owned 37 acre of land in Bilaspur and his agricultural income was to the extent of Rs 50,000 per year.

The money deposited by him in the bank was a part of his agricultural income.

His removal from service was recommended by the inquiry officer, which was upheld by the State Governor and his petition was also dismissed by the High Court.

Justice Swantanter Kumar wrote a 28-page judgement for the bench.