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AILAJ Slams Fake Letter as ' ' in Madras HC Bribery Row
In a swift rebuttal shaking up a brewing scandal at the , the has formally denied any involvement in a controversial letter accusing a senior advocate of pocketing Rs 50 lakh from a client to bribe Justice Nirmal Kumar. The association's state coordinator penned a pointed complaint to the court's registry, labeling the document a designed to tarnish reputations.
The Trigger: A Judge Steps Aside
The drama unfolded in cases Crl.O.P.No.21243/2014 and Crl.R.C.No.1191/2015 . Justice Nirmal Kumar recently recused himself after the registry received the anonymous letter—purportedly from AILAJ's Tamil Nadu chapter secretary at a Chennai address on Thambu Chetty Street. It alleged the senior counsel solicited funds to influence favorable orders. The judge promptly forwarded the matter to the Chief Justice for reassignment and a probe, as reported in court orders dated , and picked up by newspapers on .
AILAJ Fires Back: 'We Never Wrote It'
, State Coordinator for AILAJ, wasted no time. In a
letter to the Registrar General, he declared:
"We are shocked to know that the name of our organisation... has been misused in a fake letter sent to Honourable Justice Mr. Nirmal Kumar... We humbly submit that we have never sent any such letter to the Honourable Justice... or to any other authority."
Key discrepancies demolished the letter's credibility:
-
Wrong address
: The fake cited
"Forex Building, No.365, Thanbu Chetty Street, Parrys, Chennai -600 001,"
while AILAJ's operational hub is at
"No. 3/254B, Jeeva Street, Vandalur, Chennai - 600048."
- No such post : AILAJ has no "Secretary"; it runs on State Coordinators.
-
Malicious motive
: Adhiyaman branded it
"a
to cause defame and malign our organisation and cause us
,"
vowing a separate police complaint.
News reports echoed this, quoting the letter's outrage over learning of the via court orders and dailies.
's Shadow: Implications for Justice and Integrity
While no formal ruling has emerged yet, the episode spotlights vulnerabilities in judicial communications. Justice Kumar's recusal underscores the gravity of , even unverified ones, potentially derailing cases and eroding trust. AILAJ's plea urges the High Court to probe the culprits, investigate the fake missive, and clear the association's name.
This could ripple into charges under Indian law, alongside suits. For litigants in the affected criminal petitions, reassignment looms, with the now tasked to sift truth from fabrication.
Voices from the Fray: Key Observations
-
On disconnection
:
"Our organisation is in nowhere connected with the purported complaint."
-
On structure
:
"We are not having the post of Secretary in our organisation as mentioned in that fake letter. The Tamil Nadu State Chapter of AILAJ operates under State Coordinators."
-
On next steps
:
"We humbly submit that the misuse of our organisation's name is a
... in regard to which we will file a separate complaint to the police for appropriate action. Hence we request you to take necessary action... against the person/s behind the said fake letter."
As the weighs AILAJ's submission, this saga serves as a stark reminder: in the pursuit of justice, fabricated words can wound as deeply as any crime.
