The Supreme Court Judges, after a marathon meeting, have reportedly agreed to put details of their assets on the SC’s website. Here is the breaking story. The RTI applicant, Subhash C.Agrawal, whose RTI application started it all, would never have imagined that his innocuous application seeking to know whether the Judges have been complying with the in-house directive to submit asset details to the CJI, would finally succeed in forcing the Apex Judiciary submit to public opinion. Here is Agrawal’s original RTI application, which he promptly emailed to me.
Shri Ashok Kumar ji
Central Public Information Officer
Supreme Court of India
Tilak Marg
New Delhi 110001
Sir
According to a HT news-report (copy enclosed), a resolution was passed on 07.05.1997 by 22 Honourable judges of the Supreme Court presided by the then Honourable Chief Justice of India Mr Justice JS Verma ji requiring “every judge to make a declaration of all assets in form of real estate or investments held in their name or their spouse and any person dependent on them, to the Chief Justice”. I will be obliged if your honour very kindly arranges to send me a copy of the said resolution. I may bring to your kind notice that your predecessor Shri S Chaterjee was kind enough to provide me earlier on request a copy each of ‘Restatement of values of judicial life” and “In-house procedure”.
I will be obliged if your honour kindly provides me information on any such declaration of assets etc ever filed by Honourable judges of the Supreme Court. Kindly also arrange information if High Court judges are submitting declaration about their assets etc to respective Chief Justices in states. Postal Order Number 59E 110038 for rupees ten in name of Registrar (Administration) is enclosed towards RTI fees.
Regards
SUBHASH C. AGRAWAL
ALSO READ: The 1997 Supreme Court’s Full Court Resolution requiring Judges to declare assets.
26TH OF AUGUST WILL BE A RED LETTER DAY FOR THE WAR FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN INDIA. THANKS TO ACTIVISTS LAWYERS LIKE PRASHANT BHUSHAN , SOLI SORABJEE , FALI S NARIMAN , RETD CJI JS VERMA & VN KHARE AND THE CATALYSTIC AND THE BRAVE STEP TAKEN BY JUSTICE SHYLENDRA KUMAR INDIA WON THE FIRST BATTLE FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE THANK THE SC COLLEGIUM & THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA FOR UNDERSTANDING THE SENTIMENT OF THE NATION AND TAKING THIS MOST IMPORTANT STEP .
THIS SETS THE GROUND FOR THE NEXT IMPORTANT BATTLE AND THAT IS THE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE POLITICIANS. THERE ASSETS ALSO NEED TO BE MONITORED AND A REASON NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED FOR THE POLITICIANS WHO BECOME RICH ONCE THEY GAIN OFFICE. THE POLITICIANS SHOULD NOW UNDERSTAND THE SENTIMENT OF THIS COUNTRY AND THE MESSAGE FOR THEM IS CLEAR. RULE JUST FOR SERVING THE COUNTRY AND NOT RULE FOR EARNING MONEY.
EVERY POLITICIAN WILL NOW BE CLOSELY MONITORED SO THEREFORE BE AWARE. THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY HAVE STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS.
EVERY SINGLE RUPEE IS OUR MONEY AND IT SHOULD BE USED THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE OF INDIA.
ACTIVIST AND CITIZENS ACROSS THE COUNTRY SHOULD MAKE A PLEDGE TODAY TO ASK AT LEAST 10 RTI QUESTIONS FROM THE GOVERNMENT EVERY YEAR. ONCE IF EACH OF US START ASKING QUESTIONS INDIA WILL PROGRESS.