A.K. Sawhney
In a shocking revelation that shakes the very foundation of judicial independence, former Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, while addressing a convocation at VIT-AP, Amaravati, stated that his entire family had been subjected to false criminal cases. These, he said, were part of a deliberate attempt by the then Andhra Pradesh government under Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to intimidate and harass him.
Justice Ramana’s statement has sent ripples through the legal and political fraternity alike. It raises a grave question-if a former Chief Justice of India and his family can be targeted and humiliated for performing his constitutional duties, then who among us is truly safe?
The former CJI’s comments point to a darker reality of how power can be misused to settle scores with those who uphold the rule of law. During Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, the state government had made an aggressive attempt to dismantle Amaravati as the capital city and trifurcate it into three parts. The move, which was widely criticized as politically motivated, was met with massive protests from farmers who had donated their land for the Amaravati project.
For four long years, these farmers carried their agitation with remarkable courage and perseverance, standing as silent sentinels of democratic protest. Their struggle eventually found vindication when N. Chandrababu Naidu’s government returned to power in 2024, signaling the people’s rejection of the previous regime’s arbitrary decisions.
But amid all this political drama, the treatment meted out to Justice Ramana and his family is deeply disturbing. The judiciary, which is constitutionally designed to act as a guardian of citizens’ rights and a check on the executive, cannot function under the shadow of fear or political vengeance. When even those who have occupied the highest judicial office in the land are not spared from coercive tactics, it reveals a dangerous erosion of respect for institutions.
It is one thing to disagree with a judicial verdict. It is another, and entirely unforgivable, to target the personal lives of judges and their families. Such vindictive acts corrode public confidence and strike at the very heart of democracy. Governments may change, but institutions must remain sacred and insulated from personal or political vendettas.
This episode calls for collective introspection. Where are we headed as a democracy if dissent, independence, or lawful decision-making invites retribution? The executive’s misuse of investigative and police machinery to intimidate members of the judiciary is not just unethical-it is unconstitutional. The law enforcement system must not become a weapon in the hands of those in power; rather, it must serve as a shield for justice.
The citizens of India, and particularly the legal fraternity, must condemn such acts in the strongest possible terms. Silence or indifference at such moments only emboldens those who seek to subvert justice for their own convenience. Today, it may be a former Chief Justice under attack; tomorrow, it could be any judge, journalist, activist, or citizen who dares to speak truth to power.
India’s judiciary has stood tall through many turbulent phases of history. From the Emergency to the Kesavananda Bharati judgment, it has shown resilience and courage. But its strength ultimately depends on the moral courage of judges and the collective vigilance of citizens.
Justice Ramana’s revelation is not just a personal ordeal-it is a warning bell for every Indian who believes in democracy and the rule of law. If the guardians of justice themselves can be threatened, then the safety and freedom of every ordinary citizen hang in the balance.
This is not merely about one judge or one state-it is about the soul of Indian democracy.
(The writer is Advocate, Former President JKHCBA, Jammu)