WhatsApp Group With Sitting Judges And Lawyers Helped 'Fixers': Kerala High Court Bar Association President Writes To Chief Justice

The Association has formally requested an inquiry by the Vigilance Department to investigate potential damage to judicial integrity stemming from the group's operations.

The KHCAA President Advocate Yeshwanth Shenoy, in his letter dated November 13, 2024 to the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, highlighted that while WhatsApp groups among lawyers are common, the "Lawyers News Network" stood out because it included sitting judges and judicial officers, raising questions about its operations. The letter mentioned, “There are several WhatsApp groups run by advocates, but this was the only one where a few sitting Judges were a part of Many of these Judges were a part of the same when they were advocates and it just so happened that they continued to be there, as they saw no harm in it. The sole 'admin' of the group is Adv. Mansoor B H.”

The association's concerns were amplified after the 2024 KHCAA Annual Day event, which saw a violent altercation involving certain members. Despite the event being peacefully organized, a video of the altercation was circulated with a distorted narrative, allegedly originating from the WhatsApp group. The KHCAA accused the group of using its platform to spread false information and undermine the reputation of the association, the legal community, and the judiciary itself.

The letter mentioned, “The KHCAA inquiry led to the finding that many of the uninvited guests were there on the invitation from Mr. Mansoor. Many of these persons were part of the Lawyers News Network. In short, the Lawyers News Network was not just having advocates and judges as part of it, but other persons too. This led us to inquire further and what we saw was a startling network that was operating through this WhatsApp group.”

The group was described as a "well-oiled network" of fixers, who, according to the KHCAA, were using their affiliations to manipulate situations and even engage in character assassination. “The face of this WhatsApp group were the unsuspecting reputed members, but behind them operated a well-oiled dirty network of ‘fixers’,” the letter read.

The letter also highlighted the disturbing presence of several judicial officers, both retired and sitting, in the group. The KHCAA pointed out that while the judicial officers may not have been actively involved in any illicit activities, their mere presence in such a group inadvertently lent credibility to the operations of the "fixers." This, the KHCAA argued, could have far-reaching consequences on judicial integrity and public trust in the system.

In addition to the misconduct allegations, the KHCAA also expressed concerns about the group’s role in leaking sensitive information, it said, “This WhatsApp group is known for publishing judgments and administrative orders even before it is uploaded in the official website. This Group also had the privilege of having published the photograph of a collegium recommendation. Unless complete control is not established with the Registry, such leaks are certain to happen. We need to take strict action to ensure the concerned officers are punished for any such leaks in the future.”

The KHCAA further noted that some of the media persons in the group, including journalists from Madhyamam, were also allegedly complicit in spreading false information about the Annual Day event. The KHCAA has provided a list of phone numbers of suspected media personnel to investigative authorities for verification.

The association concluded the letter by requesting the Chief Justice to initiate a formal inquiry into the matter and issue strict directives to judicial officers, particularly those in the district judiciary, to dissociate themselves from such groups. It said, “The KHCAA humbly requests your goodself to set up an inquiry by the vigilance department of the High Court and to satisfy itself that there is no harm done to the Judicial institution. We also request your goodself to give strict directions to the judicial officers of the district judiciary to keep themselves away from such groups.”

The KHCAA also indicated that, if necessary, it would escalate the matter to the Chief Justice of India, calling for a review of the Restatement of Values of Judicial Life to ensure the preservation of judicial ethics and integrity.

The KHCAA has emphasized the need for swift action to prevent further harm to the judiciary's reputation and to restore public confidence in the legal system.