Meghalaya HC directs Union Home Secy for appearance

The Meghalaya High Court today directed Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi to appear before it to assist the court in deciding on the security cover to High Court judges post-retirement in the wake of the threat perception.
"We direct the Union Home Secretary to remain present in Court on 7.01.2016, for assistance and early decision," Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice T N K Singh said in an order which was faxed to the concerned official.
The order was given after the Court observed that the MHA Director for NE region, J P N Singh, sought three weeks time in his affidavit for filing threat perception updates on each of the Judges of the state's High Court.

While the Chief Justice is a 'Z' category protectee, the other two judges are protected under 'Y' category.
Singh had also informed the court that the threat perceptions of all judges are being assessed.
Unhappy with Singh's reply, the Chief Justice termed the former's affidavit as 'dismal' and 'in the habit of not taking any decision on one pretext or other'.

"We, thus, think it appropriate to summon the Union Home Secretary for assistance and an early decision," the order stated.
The court had in its November 2 order put on record that the Chief Justice and judges of the Meghalaya High Court were getting anonymous threats to their life.

The Judges raised the issue of security cover in view of the two of them superannuating this month and the third one in 2019 and as they contended not feeling to be 'fully safe and secured' anymore.