Yatin Oza alleges Gujarat HC judge of converting unaccounted, de-monetised notes worth 1 crore

Senior Advocate Yatin Oza has written a letter to the Chief Justice of India JS Khehar making some scathing allegations against Gujarat High Court judge, Justice MR Shah.

Oza begins his letter by stating that the allegations in the letter are of a “very serious nature”.

“At the outset, I submit that I am prepared to face any consequences, may be severest in form, if my allegations are found to be untrue after an honest and detailed inquiry at Your Lordships end.”

The letter then sets out the crux of his allegations. As per the letter, Justice Shah owned a bungalow in Ahmedabad till July-August 2016. After Justice Shah and certain other Gujarat High Court judges were allotted land opposite the High Court (which is a subject matter of litigation before the High Court), Justice Shah sold his bungalow for Rs. 1 crore.

Oza alleges that the said amount was received in cash and was unaccounted. Subsequently, when Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes were demonetised, the aforesaid amount was still with the judge in the denominations of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000. The letter then states that the aforesaid amount was exchanged for new currency with the aid of the State government.

“The aforesaid amount of demonetised currency was exchanged for new currency by Hon’ble Justice MR Shah with the aid and help of State government i.e. by a sitting minister and a leader of a political party who helped him out to convert the old currency notes to new currency notes of denomination of Rs. 500 and Rs. 2000.”

Oza then states that a “little inquiry at your end by appointing very honest and upright judges to inquire into my allegation would reveal every word stated by me to be true”.

Oza, in his letter has also come down upon the Collegium for toeing the line of Central government.

“Though on paper, there is finality attached to the Collegium in the matter of appointment, elevation and transfer, the real authority who decides and the mandate of which is followed by the Collegium is the Government of India.”

He then cites examples of Justices KM Joseph and Jayant Patel and goes on to state that the “Collegium has decided to bend its knees before the union government by befooling people and by forwarding lame, weak and unsustainable excuses like logjam….bottleneck etc.”

The letter ends with the hope that the Collegium of Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph who will be part of the Collegium from August 28, 2017 will save the institution.

Read the full letter below.