CJI Misra to address media soon

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, Dipak Misra will address the media shortly after 2 pm. The Attorney General K Venugopal will also accompany him.

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, about the allegations made by the four Supreme Court judges.

Media reports are saying that such a meeting and interaction is expected in the wake of four judges of the apex court issuing an appeal to the nation to save the institution from further damage if they want democracy to survive in the country.

Earlier, in an unprecedented move and a first in independent India's history, four Supreme Court judges criticised Chief Justice Misra, saying that events in the Supreme Court had left them with no choice but to address their concerns before the nation.

Justice J Chelameshwar, who spoke on behalf of the four judges, categorically said the administration of the nation's top court was not in order.

Describing the press conference as an extraordinary event in the history of the apex court, he said that the four judges were compelled to act in this way because Chief Justice Mishra could not be persuaded to mend the ways of the court.

"We met CJI this morning. We collectively tried to persuade CJI that certain things aren't in order so take remedial measures, but unfortunately our efforts failed," said Justice Chelameswar.

"The four of us gave a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) some months ago," the justices revealed.

"It is discharge of debt to the nation which has brought us here, Justice Ranjan Gogoi told media here this morning.

"Democracy in this country would not survive without an institution as important as the Supreme Court, and a free judiciary," Justice Chelameshwar said.

"It is with no pleasure that we have been compelled to do this, administration of Supreme Court is not in order," Justice Chelameswar said on behalf of the four judges.

In response to a question on whether Chief Justice Misra should be impeached, Justice Chelameshwar said it was for the nation to decide.

Apart from Justice Chelameswar, the other judges involved included Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Madan Lokur and Justice Kurien Joseph.