Vice President's Secretariat
People are waiting with bated breath, the money trail, its source, its purpose, did it pollute the judicial system? Who are the bigger sharks, asks VP om justice verma cash recovery case
The rule of law is the very foundation of society; VP questions delay in FIR
Time has come to revisit K. Veeraswami Judgement, a Judicial Legerdemain -VP
Judicial landscape is changing for the better-VP expresses hope
3 member Committee has no constitutional premise or legal sanctity-VP on Justice verma cash recovery case
We must believe in protocol, really beholden to the present Chief Justice for inviting attention to protocol-VP
I am also a sufferer-VP on protocol breach
Posted On:
19 MAY 2025 8:30PM by PIB Delhi
The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has today stated that it is time to revisit the K Veeraswamy judgement of 1991. In his address he stated, “ The genesis of this impregnable cover is a judgment imparted by the Supreme Court in K. Veeraswami case 1991. If I may put it…..Judicial Legerdemain. Normally it is used for legislature. Am I right? Erected scaffolding of impunity, paring neutralising all salvos of accountability and transparency. Time for us now to change. And I have full trust and confidence in the present Supreme Court, which is of eminent people, people of integrity. In a short time the present Chief Justice has shown that things are soothing for people at large.”
In his address he further added, “ There is need to protect judiciary. We have to ensure our judges are not made vulnerable because they decide fearlessly. They do the most difficult job. They deal with powers in the executive. They deal with powers in industry. They deal with mighty power that has great economic strength and institutional authority. And therefore, we must protect them. We must evolve our mechanism. Not for a moment I will see. I will indicate that we must make our judges vulnerable. No. We have to provide judges with something like impregnability when it comes to challenge to the judges on sinister premise by pernicious design by forces that cannot digest independence of judiciary. But that requires in-house regulatory mechanism which is transparent, accountable expeditious and which should not have peer concern. We all are victims of it. For example, in Parliament, a breach of privilege is determined by the same people who sit alongside but we have to be ruthless”.
Speaking at the book release function of the book ‘The Constitution We Adopted (With Artworks)’ edited by Shri Vijay Hansaria at Bharat Mandapam, Shri Dhankhar underlined, “.......a robust Judicial system is quintessential to survival of democracy, to blossoming of democracy. And if that system, for one incident, is clouded somewhat, it is our pious obligation to clear the air at the earliest. And I say so for this reason, that investigation all over the world is domain of the executive, adjudication thereof is the domain of judiciary. I wonder, as Chairman Rajya Sabha, having examined the scenario which obtains in the country for removal of a judge………the committee can be legitimately constituted only either by the Speaker or the Chairman, as the case may be, when requisite number of members of Parliament come with a resolution to remove the judge. Now just imagine how much labor has gone to Chief Justices of two high courts. In one high court, the coverage area is two states and a union territory. They involved with an inquiry which does not have any constitutional premise or legal sanctity but most importantly it will be in consequential. The inquiry report may be sent to anyone under a mechanism evolved by the court on the administrative side. Can in this country we afford to invest so much time at the cost of administrative work of the chief justice of High Court? A judicial work of the High Court? And I still wonder, while investigating, or so-called investigation, the Three Judge Committee recovered electronic equipments from people. This is a serious issue. How can this be done? All I am suggesting to you is, with that caveat, I'm a foot soldier of judiciary. We have to set highest standards, exemplary standards indicating adherence to rule of law”.
Emphasizing on the significance of rule of law in a democracy, the Vice-President stated, “ We’re confronted with the jarring reality. A judge’s residents in lutyens Delhi had burnt notes, cash. There is no FIR till date. We have in the country rule of law, criminal justice system. And if I go to the legal field which is occupied by legislation, there can be no occasion whatsoever to delay even for a moment because that is ordainment of law. The rule of law is the very foundation of society. Democracy has to be defined primarily by three aspects. expression. Second, dialogue. Third, accountability……The surest way to degenerate an individual or bring down an Institution is to keep it away from probe, keep it away from scrutiny…..And therefore, if we have to really nurture democracy, ensure that democracy blossoms, it is inescapable that we hold every institution accountable and every individual accountable and in accordance with law.”
“Today I am reflecting not as a by standing detector but as a foot soldier of judiciary. I have given my best life in judiciary and I was extremely lucky. I can never envisage that I will do anything which in the remotest form will compromise dignity of judiciary. I started with that, protocol. But I have raised issues consistently because a robust independent judicial system is the safest guarantee for the citizen and also for survival of democracy. Now, I find at the moment a big change taking place. Judicial landscape is changing for the better. The outgoing Chief Justice, Justice Khanna, set very high standards in accountability, transparency. He needs to be commended that the incident to which I referred at the residence of a judge. And please don't mistake me. I give highest premium and value to innocence of a person. We are supposed to be innocent till proved otherwise. I am casting no aspersions. But all I say is that when it comes to national interest, we cannot divide into compartments, insiders or outsiders. We all are united in nurturing constitutional sense and spirit. I am the one who held the fort that because of legacy issues mechanism evolved by a judgement in early 90s. The present Supreme Court did what it could to the maximum extent. But time has come now for revisitation because the scenario is indeed one. for which every person in the country is waiting. They want nothing but absolute truth to come out”, he added.
Stressing further on the need for a scientific criminal investigation, Shri Dhankhar stated, “Everyone in the country is now thinking whether this will be washed off, whether it will fade with time, and they are really concerned. How come criminal justice system was not operationalised as it would have done for every other individual? Even with respect to the Hon'ble President and the Governor, only the two functionaries. The coverage of immunity is only while they hold the office. And therefore, being integral part of this institution, that has defined what we are today and that defines what our democracy is today. This issue for which people are waiting with bated breath, the money trail, its source, its purpose, did it pollute the judicial system? Who are the bigger sharks. We need to find out. Already two months have gone by, and no one knows better than people before me. Investigation is required to be with expedition. So is the case with the registration of an FIR. I do hope and believe that the Supreme Court acted the very best so far because it had a legacy issue of judgments imparted in 90s. But now is the time to take a call. Partly the confidence has been restored by Justice Khanna. When you put in public domain documentation which people thought will never be shown to them. That was a big step by him to project accountability and transparency. If democratic values have to prosper, I am sure this is a test case. There must be swift investigation by those concerned with investigation. We must use scientific material. People in the front line particularly know, not many things are happening. And these days, tough times. Most guarded secret is an open secret on the street. Everyone knows it. Names are floating. Several reputations have become fragile. People think the system has really suffered something like a great challenge. The system will get purified. It will get image makeover once the culprits are brought to book and not for a moment I am indicating anyone as a culprit. Everyone is innocent till proved otherwise.”
“The entire nation was worried. An incident took place on the night intervening 14th and 15th of March. A nation of 1.4 billion did not come to know about it. Till after a week. Just imagine how many such other incidents may have taken place of which we are not in the know of because every such transgression of integrity impacts common man, impacts those who believe in rule of law, in merit and therefore we have to be unsparing about it. The motto of the Supreme Court, which you must have seen number of times, I saw it every time–यतो धर्मः ततो जयः Where there is dharma, there is victory. सत्यमेव जयते Truth has to triumph in this case”, he added
Inviting attention to the recent remarks by the CJI regarding protocol, Shri Dhankhar today stated, “This morning I was reminded of something which is very critical in the country and that is not for oneself. What the present Chief Justice said, we must believe in protocol. Chief Justice of the country and protocol is placed very high. When he indicated this, it was not personal, first for the position he holds and I am sure this will be kept in mind by one and all. In a sense, I am also a sufferer, you have seen the photograph of the President and the Prime Minister but not of the Vice-President. Once I demit the office, I’ll ensure that my successor has a photograph but I am really beholden to the present Chief Justice for inviting attention to the people in bureaucracy adherence to protocol is fundamental.”
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JK/RC/SM
(Release ID: 2129736)