Personal emails irks Bombay HC judge, refuses to hear plea

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Petition, filed by some visually impaired people sought direction to Centre to make their website more accessible Justice Gautam Patel of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to hear a petition after getting irked with personal emails sent to him by the petitioner seeking urgent hearing of the plea. When the petition was called out, a division bench of Justices Patel and Kamal Khata said it was recusing from hearing the plea and informed the petitioner's advocate of the emails sent by the petitioner.

The advocate, Kanchan Pamnani, apologised and said she was not aware of these emails. She urged the court to hear the plea. The petition, filed by some visually impaired people sought a direction to the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs to make their website more accessible to people who are visually impaired.

One of the litigants, in the email to Justice Patel, urged the high court to look into the issue and said the plea has not been heard for two years. Justice Patel was irked with this and said such personal emails should not be sent to judges. "The matter may be pending for how much ever time but one cannot send such personal emails to judges," Justice Patel said. The court directed for the plea to be placed before another bench.

Justice Patel said he would "never touch this matter". "I am never going to touch this matter. Not with a ten-foot pole. Imagine if I hear this and pass a favourable order. The message sent would be that you send personal emails to judges and you will get favourable orders," Justice Patel said. The petitioner, who sent the mails, was also present before the court and expressed his apology. The high court, however, refused to hear him.

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