Judges have no business giving interviews to media: SC

New Delhi: Judges have no business giving interviews to the media on matters pending before them, the Supreme Court said Monday as it sought a report from the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court regarding an interview allegedly given by one of its judges in which he had made some remarks against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee.
The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal by Banerjee challenging the April 13 High Court order asking CBI and ED to question him in connection with irregularities in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff at government schools in West Bengal.

“The petitioner has annexed a translated transcript of an interview of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on a television news media channel ABP Ananda…on September 19, 2022. We direct the Registrar General of Calcutta High Court to personally verify from Justice Gangopadhyay as to whether he had been interviewed by Mr Suman De of ABP Ananda. The Registrar General shall file his affidavit before this court on or before this Friday before the Registrar Judicial of this court,” a bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and P S Narasimha said in its order.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for ED, said even assuming the interview was given, it had nothing to do with the High Court order.
CJI Chandrachud responded, “Then I am very clear that he should not participate in these proceedings any further I have no doubt in my mind… Judges have no business to be granting interviews to television or whatever channels on matters which are pending before them”.
To a submission that the petition was not pending before the judge at the time of the alleged interview, CJI said, “If he is speaking about the petitioner in these terms in an interview, clearly he is disabled from participating”.
ASG Raju said it was a huge scam.
The bench added that it is not touching the investigation of the scam and not going into the merits of the matter at this stage. “Rest assured, we will not pass any order which will preclude a proper investigation into a scam. The question is whether a judge who has given an interview and expressed himself about a political personality like this should be allowed to participate in the hearing…or should we ask the Chief Justice to assign the matter to somebody else,” said CJI Chandrachud.
“We are not going to stay in the way of a proper investigation into any scam”.