Sawaikar issue: Goa govt rejects RTI activist plea

The Hindu: Panaji: Wednesday, 12 November 2014.

The Goa Government has declined to furnish the information sought by RTI activist Aires Rodrigues on the issue of divesting CBI Court Judge P.V. Sawaikar of powers to hear corruption cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Mr. Rodrigues, in his complaint to the Chief Justice of India last month, had alleged that the process to strip Judge Sawaikar of powers to hear corruption cases was initiated on August 30 at the swearing in of Goa Governor Mridula Sinha when then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar complained to Bombay High Court Chief Justice Mohit Shah about Judge Sawaikar and sought his removal.

While refusing to furnish the information, a senior official of the Law Department, in her reply, informed the activist that the information cannot be provided as the relevant file contains other important proposals which are in the pipeline.

Mr. Rodrigues said on Tuesday that he had sought under RTI Act a copy of the noting sheets and correspondence leading to the issuance of the notification dated October 7 divesting Judge Sawaikar of his powers to hear the Corruption cases.

In a related development, Assistant Registrar of the Bombay High Court at Goa G.M. Redker has, in his reply, informed Mr. Rodrigues that the same information on Judge Sawaikar sought under the RTI Act was not available.

Accusing Mr. Parrikar of adopting high-handed tactics in attempting to intimidate and brow beat judges into submission, the activist, in his complaint, had further stated that it was an appalling and uncalled for interference in the functioning of the Judiciary.

Mr. Parrikar, who had spoken about his reservations about some judgments of lower judiciary(crossing their jurisdiction), had openly stated in the State Assembly recently that he will take up the matter with Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and that he would even suggest to the Chief Justice to think of some sort of training for lower court judges ahead of their taking over.

However, after accusations were made against him by Mr. Rodrigues of the role in  the CBI Court judge's case, he had told The Hindu that while he definitely had reservations about some of the judgments of CBI.

Court judge, he had denied that he had spoken to Chief Justice of Bombay High Court or had interfered in any way in divesting of powers of the judge.