RS takes up impeachment motion against Justice Soumitra Sen

New Delhi: The first impeachment proceedings against a judge was taken up in the Rajya Sabha today which converted into a court to take up a motion against Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court. Justice Sen appeared before a ‘bar’ “posted” at the gate of the central aisle of the upper house facing the Chairman as CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury moved motions against him. [caption id=“attachment_62830” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“53-year old Sen is the second judge against whom impeachment proceedings have been initiated. Screengrab/ibnlive”]  [/caption] The first of the two grounds of misconduct against Sen being cited in the motion is misappropriation of large sums of money, which he received in his capacity as receiver appointed by the high court. The second ground is that he misrepresented facts with regard to the misappropriation of money before the High Court. Moving the motions, Yechury said he was doing so with “deep sense of anguish and the move was not against the judiciary, which we hold high esteem but against a judge for his misbehaviour.” One of the motions read that “this House do consider the report of the inquiry committee in regard to investigation and proof of misbehaviour alleged against Shri Soumitra Sen, Judge, High Court of Calcutta. which was laid on the Table of the House on November 10, 2010.” 53-year old Sen is the second judge against whom impeachment proceedings have been initiated. The first such case involved the impeachment motion in Lok Sabha of Justice V Ramaswami of the Supreme Court in May 1993 which fell due to lack of numbers after Congress members abstained. PTI