New Delhi:

A group of 21 retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts has written to the Chief Justice of India, alleging “escalating attempts by certain factions to undermine the judiciary through deliberate pressure, misinformation and public defamation”.

They said the critics were motivated by narrow political and personal interests and sought to undermine public confidence in the justice system.

While the retired judges, including four Supreme Court judges, did not specify the incident that prompted them to write to the Central Intelligence Commission, their letter comes at a time when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Opposition parties are fighting over a dispute targeting some opposition leaders. The action comes amid a war of words. corruption cases.

As affected leaders and their parties seek relief from the courts, the BJP has often accused them of selective use of judicial decisions and has countered opposition criticism by citing a lack of relief for several arrested leaders.

Retired judges, including retired judges Deepak Verma, Krishna Murari, Dinesh Maheshwari and MR Shah, accused critics of adopting insidious methods in an apparent attempt to influence the judicial process by maligning the integrity of the courts and judges.

“Such conduct not only disrespects the sanctity of our judiciary, but also poses a direct challenge to the principles of fairness and impartiality that judges are sworn to uphold as guardians of the law,” they said in the letter titled “Need to Uphold the Judiciary.” From Unreasonable pressure”.

They said the tactics used by these groups were deeply troubling, from spreading unfounded theories aimed at defaming the judiciary’s reputation to overtly and covertly trying to influence judicial outcomes in their favour.

They added: “We have observed that this behavior is particularly evident in cases and causes of social, economic and political significance, including cases involving certain individuals, where the lines between advocacy and manipulation become blurred to the detriment of Judicial independence.”

The letter writers said they were particularly concerned about misinformation tactics and the orchestration of public sentiment against the judiciary.

They said: “Selectively praising judicial decisions that are in line with one’s own views, while fiercely criticizing those that are not, undermines the essence of judicial review and the rule of law.”

They urged the Supreme Court-led judiciary to resist such pressure and ensure that the sanctity and autonomy of the legal system is upheld.

“The judiciary must continue to be the backbone of democracy, free from the whims and fancies of fleeting political interests,” they said.

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