CJI orders inquiry into fake calls made to CJs of two high courts

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has ordered an inquiry into alleged fake calls made by someone impersonating as the CJI to two high court chief justices, asking them to recommend names of some lawyers as judges of the high courts.

The CJI has ordered a probe into the calls made to Telangana High Court Chief Justice T B Radhakrishnan and the acting Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court L Narayana Swamy and issued an advisory to the judges of high courts not to entertain calls in his name or from his office.

The office of the CJI had come to know of the incident during routine conversations with Justices Radhakrishnan and Swamy following which the apex court's registry lodged a complaint at the Tilak Nagar police station.

According to media reports, the caller had last week, masqueraded as H K Juneja, personal private secretary of Justice Gogoi, over a voice call and asked the judges to send recommendations for elevation of judges in the high court.

The reports state that the unidentified caller had telephoned the judges again impersonating as Juneja and said that CJI Gogoi wanted to speak to him on the recommendations.

After this, the caller had spoken to the judges imitating CJI Gogoi's voice repeating the request to elevate the advocates.

A preliminary probe has revealed that the calls had originated from the apex court's electronic private branch exchange (EPBX) system but had actually been made from a mobile phone.

Justice Gogoi had convened a high-level meeting with the top court's telecommunication wing and other officials where it was confirmed that a call from a mobile can be routed through the court's EPBX system using a software.