Gulam Rabbani :
The Supreme Court authorities on Tuesday sent a letter to the President, stating that Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, who is now on one month’s leave on health grounds, would visit Australia to see his daughter and also to receive treatment.
Registrar of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Md Zakir Hossain signed the letter stating that the chief justice may leave for Australia on October 13 or any nearest date and may stay there till November 10.
The CJ and his wife recently got Australian visa for three years.
Admitting the matter, Law Secretary Abu Saleh Md Sk Zahirul Haque told The New Nation in the evening, “The letter has been sent to the Law Ministry for forwarding it to the President through the Prime Minister’s office (PMO)”.
He said as per relevant rules SC administration sends letter to the president about the chief justice’s leave and going abroad so that president assigns another judge of the apex court to discharge the duties of the Chief Justice during his absence.
But rumours are running high about his leave and his foreign visit.
People of the country are getting confusion about CJ’s present position, as the government officials are repeatedly circulating one-sided statement about him.
Even, the office of the Registrar General of the Supreme Court is not providing information about the Chief Justice to the press and media further deepening the rumours.
People are anxious to know the real condition of the CJ who remained inaccessible to everybody except the government high officials after his leave. Even, rumour spread over his leave application.
Under this situation, many raise the question whether the CJ is going abroad or something else is happening behind the scene centering his leave and foreign trip.
On Tuesday, leaders of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) alleged that the CJ was not ready to go abroad but the government is trying to convince him for that.
Earlier, the SCBA leaders failed to meet the CJ despite several attempts.
SK Sinha went on leave from October 3 ahead of retirement in January. The Law Minister and the Attorney General said he had taken leave because he is suffering from cancer.
But the CJ’s sudden leave after a long vacation of the Supreme Court create controversy across the country. The controversy boosted up when the bar leaders were barred to meet him.
Only the government people are being allowed to meet the Chief Justice while others not, raising the question what is the fact and what is going on. It was learnt that the government leaders are allowed to meet him in a bid to convince him to go abroad.
