Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recused himself from hearing activist Surendra Gadling’s bail plea in the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case. The Supreme Court will now place the matter before another bench.
The matter had been listed before a bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Shree Chandrashekhar. The recusal leaves the bail plea pending for fresh listing before a different bench.
Background and earlier position
Recusal is a judicial safeguard used when a judge steps aside from a case because neutrality may be questioned. In the Supreme Court, recusal generally leads to reassignment of the case to another bench so that the matter can continue without the concerned judge.
Justice Shree Chandrashekhar’s recusal adds to a pattern in which the Supreme Court has seen three recusals in the past year without reasons being recorded. The Supreme Court has not disclosed the reason for the present withdrawal.
Why the matter matters for UPSC
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