Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recused himself on Tuesday from a bench hearing Surendra Gadling’s bail plea in the 2016 Surajgarh iron ore mine arson case, marking the third such recusal by a Supreme Court judge. The plea has been pending since 2023. Sources report prior recusals by Justices MM Sundresh and AS Chandurkar.
“Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recuses from hearing bail plea of Bhima Koregaon accused Surendra Gadling”
Read at The Hindu →No center sources covered this
“3rd SC judge recuses himself from hearing lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea”
Read at Hindustan Times →The third recusal highlights judicial delay affecting lawyers defending marginalized communities in conflict zones.
“Institutional caution toward rights-based advocates”
Repeated recusals reflect appropriate caution in a case linked to Naxal-related arson in a sensitive district.
“Accountability for insurgency enablers”
Serial recusals extend pretrial detention and impair timely review of individual liberty claims.
“Erosion of prompt judicial access”
All prior framings assume political motive without evidence; ordinary docket or conflict reasons are equally plausible and unexamined.
“Unsubstantiated attribution of motive to recusals”
Ratings by MBFC