Bhuvana Marni
Published on: October 30, 2022 at 19:12 IST
In response to false news being circulated against Chief Justice Dr. S. Muralidhar on social media, the Orissa High Court has issued a press release.
A lawyer by the name of Advocate Srinivas Mohanty posted a photo and a caption on his Facebook page alleging that Chief Justice Dr S. Muralidhar conducted an improper “closed-door meeting” with Mr. VK Pandian, IAS, the Private Secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and a few others. A particular section of the media reported on this.
The High Court has released an official press statement in response to this message going viral on social media.
Strongly condemning the fake news, the High Court Registry said :
“It is extremely unfortunate that an item of fake news has been made viral on social media at the instance of a lawyer practicing in Orissa High Court by publishing a photograph and making wholly scurrilous and false statements without knowing the real facts”.
According to the press release, the photo was taken at the Satya Sai Seba Organization in Bhubaneswar on March 12, 2022.
The event marked the commencement of the Sathya Sai Heart Hospital’s three-day Free Mega Heart Camp.
Justice MR Shah, a judge of the Supreme Court, was asked to attend as the event’s chief guest. As the Guest of Honor, Dr. Justice S. Muralidhar received an invitation. The invitation to the event also included Mr. V.K. Pandian.
The managing trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital, Shri Manoj Bhimani, is seated at the top of the table.
In addition to Mr. V.K. Pandian, the other people include three physicians from the aforementioned heart hospital.
“The photograph is taken at a time when the Guests were awaiting the arrival Justice M.R. Shah from Puri. This was therefore not at all a ‘closed door or a ‘private meeting’ between the Chief Justice and Mr. Pandian as has been projected.”
“In fact it was not a meeting at all. It was a public function by a charitable organization providing free treatment to thousands of poor children of Odisha suffering from heart ailments”, the press release stated.
“It is extremely unfortunate that a sinister attempt has been made to deliberately malign not only the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court but the institution of the judiciary as a whole. Further, certain section of the media has unfortunately carried the news item making negative comments without verifying the above facts.”
“These facts could have easily been got verified both from the organization which conducted the programme and also from the Registrar General of the High Court before publication of such news item”, the statement issued by the High Court Registry stated.
The Registry also shared the official invitation card for the March 12 event hosted by the Satya Sai Seba Organization.
It has happened before that Justice Muralidhar has been the target of fake news.
After Justice Muralidhar’s bench made news in February 2020 by passing a direction about the registration of FIRs for hate speech in connection with the Delhi riots, fake rumours began to circulate that Justice Muralidhar had assisted Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in filing for office as a lawyer.
However, Justice Muralidhar was not the attorney shown in that image; instead, it was another individual.
Justice Muralidhar’s transfer to the Madras High Court as Chief Justice has recently been recommended by the Supreme Court collegium. Despite another proposal being accepted in the same resolution, the Center has failed to take action on the aforementioned recommendation.
In Chennai, Justice Muralidhar started his legal career in September 1984. In 1987, he shifted to the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court.
In 2006, he was chosen to serve as a judge on the Delhi High Court. In the 2009 Naz Foundation case, he was a member of the High Court bench that first legalized homosexuality.
In the Hashimpura massacre case and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, he also led the division bench that convicted Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), members and Congress leader Sajjan Kumar guilty.
Despite fierce resistance from the Delhi Bar, he was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in February 2020. He was transferred with immediate effect and was the third senior judge on the Delhi High Court at the time.
Soon after he instructed the Delhi police to decide whether to file an FIR for inflammatory remarks made against politicians including Anurag Thakur, Pravesh Verma, Abhay Verma, and Kapil Mishra in respect to the 2020 Delhi riots, the transfer was announced.
In January 2021, Justice Muralidhar was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court.