Meghalaya Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh

Shillong, Nov. 17: Meghalaya High Court acting Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh has come under fire from lawyers for his alleged “abusive nature” where some senior advocates were purportedly threatened with imprisonment by the seniormost judge of the high court.

The lawyers, under the banner of the Shillong High Court Bar Association, which met here this afternoon, resolved to send a petition to the Chief Justice of India and other authorities “that he (Justice Singh) be taken away from here”.

“At the very outset the house was disturbed, and it deplored the abusive nature and behaviour of Justice Singh towards the senior advocates as well as junior members of the bar. The association was also disturbed at the manner the proceedings of the court are being conducted by Justice Singh,” association president V.G.K. Kynta, a senior advocate, told reporters after the meeting.

The emergent general body meeting was held on the premises of the association, located near Meghalaya High Court. It was attended by hundreds of lawyers.

Citing an instance of Justice Singh’s alleged “abusive behaviour”, Kynta said, “On November 14, the Chief Justice (acting) in an open court threatened to strip and take away the gowns of senior lawyers and also threatened to draw criminal contempt and put them behind bars and destroy their careers.”

On why Justice Singh supposedly chose to pick on the senior lawyers, Kynta alleged that he was “agitated” against the bar members.

At the meeting, the association decided to write to the Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu, Union law and justice minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma and other authorities to bring to their knowledge the “bad experiences and difficulties faced by the bar members”.

“The petition to the authorities will be immediately sent where we will also seek that he (Justice Singh) be taken away from here,” Kynta said.

However, Kynta made it clear that the association has decided not to resort to any agitation in order to maintain the “majesty of the judiciary”.

Soon after the briefing by the association leaders, a section of journalists went to Justice Singh’s office to seek his version against the allegations levelled by the association. However, the Chief Justice (acting) was not available in his chamber.

When contacted, Abhijit Sarkar, the joint registrar of the high court and secretary to the acting Chief Justice, spoke on Justice Singh’s behalf: “He (Justice Singh) does not have any idea about what is going on. He treats lawyers as his family members, and if there are any problems, they (the lawyers) are always open to come to him (Justice Singh) for discussions and solution. There may be some vested interests to create problems in the proceedings of the court, to which he (Justice Singh) is not concerned (sic).”

At the emergent meeting, Kynta was chosen as the association president after Advocate-General K.S. Kynjing relinquished the post. Kynta was earlier the vice-president. He will continue as president until elections are held in March-April next year.

Justice Singh took oath as a judge of the Meghalaya High Court on August 27 and was simultaneously appointed as the Chief Justice (acting) of the high court by virtue of being the seniormost judge. He had joined the high court here from Allahabad High Court.

Apart from him, the other two judges of the high court include Justice T. Nandakumar Singh and Justice S.R. Sen.