Patna: Close on the heels of graft charges against Delhi High Court Judge Shameet Mukherjee, Jalandhar District Judge R M Gupta and a judicial officer of Chandigarh, a panel of the Patna High Court has suspended two lower court judges for dereliction of duty, pending departmental inquiry.

The standing committee of the Patna High Court, headed by Chief Justice R S Dhavan, has suspended Additional District and Sessions Judge of Aurangabad Brinda Pathak and Chief Judicial Magistrate of Patna S K Srivastava for dereliction of duty and showing undue favours in granting bails.

Sources in the office of HC Registrar General said on May 17 that the seven-member committee, which met on May 15, considered the reports submitted by the district judges of Patna and Aurangabad and respective inspecting High Court judges regarding complaints of various acts of omission and commission against the two judicial officers.

The committee, after being prima facie satisfied that they (the judicial officers) had not acted in a bonafide manner, suspended them, the sources said.

Depending upon the gravity of the charges proved, the judges might be let off with a warning or salary deduction in minor cases. In the event of serious irregularities being proved against them by the internal inquiry, orders for their demotion and even dismissal might be issued, they said.

PTI