Judicial Officers Move SC Challenging Promotion of 68 Judges, Including Judge Who Convicted Rahul Gandhi in Contempt Case

Ahmedabad: The promotion of 68 judges, including Gujarat judge Harish Hasmukhbhai Verma, who found Congress leader Rahul Gandhi guilty of criminal defamation, has been contested in a petition to the Supreme Court.

The plea will be heard by a Supreme Court panel presided over by Justice MR Shah on May 8.

These 68 judges were promoted based on the 65% quota mechanism. Two judicial officers from the Senior Civil Judge Cadre, Ravikumar Mehta and Sachin Pratapraya Mehta, have contested the promotions.

The argument asks that the Gujarat High Court’s list from March 10 is revoked and that the state government notify the candidates of their appointment.

A fresh list of qualifications and seniority for the appointment of judicial officers is also demanded in the petition to the Gujarat High Court.

Earlier last month, a court in Surat sentenced him to two years in prison in a 2019 defamation case for his ‘Modi Surname’ remark.