The Madras High Court has instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to initiate an investigation after a litigant presented a notification claiming that it had been issued by the Union Law Ministry, appointing him as an additional judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The court was in the process of reviewing a legal petition submitted by Captain Dr. VRC Pandiyan. The petition aimed to overturn a decision made by the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation Limited (TNSIDCO), which had revoked the allocation of an industrial shed to him due to unpaid dues.
Pandiyan informed the court that he possessed multiple educational qualifications and held records in the Guinness Book of World Records, indicating his ability to settle the outstanding dues and effectively manage the industrial shed. Additionally, he asserted that he had been practicing as an advocate for more than a decade.
The state authorities informed the court that Pandiyan had been engaging in intimidating behavior towards the respondent authorities. He had allegedly sent them emails in which he falsely claimed to be a sitting judge.
When questioned by the court, Pandiyan made the assertion that he was simultaneously working as a practicing advocate and a sitting judge. He additionally presented a notification on his mobile phone, which he asserted had been issued by the Union Law Ministry on September 19, 2021. This notification purportedly appointed him as a "Judicial Member Collegium" with effect from September 22, 2021, to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, following the retirement of Justice Karamjit Singh from the same court.
Justice B. Pugalendhi expressed skepticism regarding the authenticity of the notification, particularly in light of Pandiyan's previous claims of being both a lawyer and a businessperson. He further took the initiative to involve the Superintendent of Police, CBI Madurai, as a party in the case and instructed them to investigate the authenticity of the mentioned notification.
The court, in response, instructed the CBI to verify the authenticity of the notification and to initiate appropriate action if it was determined that the notification had been falsified.
Case: Capt.Dr.VRC.Pandiyan Vs. .The Chairman and Managing Director (TNSIDCO) and Ors, WP(MD)No.10574 of 2014 and MP(MD)No.1 of 2014.
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