Why Apex Court Sat Late on a Friday Evening To Stay a Calcutta HC Judge's Order

The order, which has been stayed, was arguably unprecedented too. Here's what happened...

Supreme Court of India

(Photo Courtesy: PTI)

Topping a series of uncommon developments that ensued in our courts on Friday, 28 April, the Supreme Court sat late in the evening to stay a Calcutta High Court order.

The order that has been stayed was arguably unprecedented, too. In his order, Calcutta High Court Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had directed the Supreme Court's Secretary General to produce a report and the official transcript of an interview the judge himself gave to a TV channel.

And why does this TV interview matter? 

In the aftermath of this interview, the apex court had directed that a case before Justice Gangopadhyay, pertaining to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, be reassigned to another judge. 

This is because Justice Gangopadhyay had allegedly spoken about Banerjee in that TV interview.

A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha thereby said:

So, What Did the Calcutta HC Judge's Order Say?

Shortly after the Supreme Court's directions, Justice Gangopadhyay, in a suo motu proceeding, asked for the official transcript of the interview to be placed before him, even going on to say that he would wait for it till 12.15 am in his chamber.

As per Bar and Bench, the order says:

And what happened thereafter?

Later in the evening, at 8 pm, a bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli stayed Justice Gangopadhyay's order, saying:

(With inputs from Bar and Bench and Livelaw.)