SC reconstitutes panel to probe charges of misconduct against 2 Orissa HC judges

The Supreme Court has reconstituted a three-member in-house inquiry committee to probe allegations of abuse of power made against two sitting judges of Orissa High Court.

The re-constituted panel would be headed by Madras High Court Chief Justice Indira Banerjee, and include Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, and Madhya Pradesh High Court Judge, Justice Ravi Shanker Jha.

Earlier, the committee comprised Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice S F Vazifdar, Tripura High Court Chief Justice T Vaiphei and Allahabad High Court Judge, Justice Arun Tandon.

The panel has been re-constituted due to the retirement of Justices Vazifdar and Vaiphei.

The committee, which would probe the allegations of abuse of power against Justices Indrajit Mohanty and Sangam Kumar Sahoo, will be holding its first meeting on July 5.

A complaint to then CJI T S Thakur by RTI activist Jayanta Kumar Das had accused the two judges of wrongdoings, including violation of code of conduct and misuse of public funds for personal purpose, leading to the constitution of the in-house panel.