The Supreme Court today dismissed petitions demanding restraining lawyer Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri from taking oath as a judge of the Madras High Court, just as she was being sworn in. The oath-taking ceremony started while the hearing in the top court was still underway.
"We are not entertaining the writ petitions. Reasons will follow," Justice Sanjiv Khanna said.
Some bar members of the Madras High Court had written to the Chief Justice of India seeking recall of the recommendation made for appointing Ms Gowri as an additional judge of the high court, alleging she made hate speeches against Christians and Muslims. Ms Gowri's proposed elevation has been mired in controversy after reports of her alleged affiliation to the BJP.
After objections by several Madras High Court lawyers, 54 lawyers from Tamil Nadu's Madurai wrote to the Supreme Court collegium, a panel of senior-most judges who decide on appointments to the higher judiciary, endorsing the recommendation to appoint Ms Gowri as a judge in the Madras High Court. Ms Gowri has represented the Centre before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.
The lawyers from Madurai call allegations against Victoria Gowri motivated by "political animosity and malafide intent".
Senior advocate Raju Ramachandran had approached the court earlier, arguing that the Centre has notified the appointment of Ms Gowri, and urged urgent intervention.
