SC judge recuses himself from hearing Punjab plea against bail to SAD leader Majithia
January 30, 2023 18:04
Bikram Singh Majithia/ANI Photo
Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant on Monday recused himself from hearing an appeal filed by the Punjab government against the high court order granting bail to former minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a drug case.
As soon as a bench of Justices Surya Kant and J K Maheshwari took up the appeal of the Punjab government, Justice Kant said he was part of the high court bench which had directed the setting up of a special task force to probe the case.
"Let the matter be listed before a bench in which one of us (Justice Surya Kant) is not a member," the top court ordered.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan appeared for the Punjab government, which had challenged the order of the Punjab and Haryana high court dated August 10, 2022.
On August 10, 2022, Majithia had walked out of the Patiala jail after the high court had granted him bail, saying that there were "reasonable grounds" to believe that he is not guilty.
It had, however, said the observation is only for the purpose of adjudicating his bail application and the trial court should proceed independently of the observations made by it.
Majithia was released after spending more than five months in the Patiala jail in the drug case.
The Akali leader came out of the jail around 6.30 pm on August 10 last year and a large number of party leaders and workers assembled outside the prison to welcome him and showered petals over his vehicle. -- PTI
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