Ex-MLA petitions Governor to fill up HC judges' post
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 05 2023: Veteran politician 0 Joy on Monday submitted memorandum to Governor Anusuiya Uikey and author-ities concerned demanding filing up of two vacant posts of judges in Manipur High Court.

Speaking to media per-sons at his residence Kakwa Huidrom Leikai residence, Joy pointed out that Manipur High Court has only three judges out of five wherein two posts for judge remained va-cant and 34 election petition cases are in pending due to the vacancy.

While referring to provision in the Consti-tution of India that election petition should be disposed of within six months from the date of filing the case, he said a memorandum was also submitted to the Ministry of Law and Justice on March 28 demanding appointment of judges for the vacant post to expedite process for the pending election petitions.

He said the ministry's reply dated April 26 was received on May 2 stating that dis-cussion is on to fill up the vacant post of judge acting on the recommendation of High Court Collegium.

The initiative for filling up vacant posts for High Court judge should be taken up by High Court Collegium, but Manipur High Court is yet to send any proposal for filling up of the vacant post of judges since February 28, Joy added.

As such, a memorandum has been submitted to the Governor for filing up the vacant posts at the earliest.

Highlighting the impor-tance of a strong judiciary in governance, Joy said that a state will be undemocratic if its judiciary is weak.

There are 140/159 judges for lower courts in Tripura, but only 60/70 in case of Manipur.

There will be no meaning to claim double engine BJP government if its judiciary is weak, he pointed out.

Regarding the present conflict in the state, he re-called that Union Minister Amit Shah came to the state to look into the conflict and do whatever he could from his side.

But the people seemed unsatisfied with the initiatives of the Minister.

In order to probe the root cause of the conflict, an en-quiry will be done by a corn-mission headed by a retired High Court judge.

However, it is unfortunate that the con-flict could not be stopped even after the visit by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other high ranking officers of cen-tral forces and deployment of huge numbers of security forces, he continued, while alleging that central forces remained as mute spectators when Kuki militants attacked and killed civilians.

The state seemed to be headless though the government claims to be a double-engine powered from the centre and in the state.

Condemning the statement of Amit Shah that the conflict is because of a court verdict in relation with ST demand, he continued that the demand for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in ST list has been pending for long time and even 34135 MLAs have supported the de-mand.

It is unfortunate that issue was placed before the court without discussion in assembly, he added.

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