Five AP judges suspended for copying

Hyderabad: Five judges of the Andhra Pradesh subordinate judiciary were suspended by the state’s high court on Wednesday for allegedly cheating in the LLM exams, which were held at the Arts College of Kakatiya University in Warangal.



The incident took place on Tuesday. One of the judges was found copying from a law book hidden under his answersheet. Written slips and pages torn from textbooks were seized from other judges. The copying material was confiscated by university invigilators who stopped the judges from writing any further. The judges were pursuing the LLM course through the distance mode from Kakatiya University; the degree helps judges gain increments in their career. Those placed under suspension are: K Ajitsimha Rao, senior civil judge, Ranga Reddy district; M Kistappa, principal senior civil judge, Anantapur; P Vijayendar Reddy, second additional district judge, Ranga Reddy district; M Srinivasachary, senior civil judge in Bapatla of Guntur district; and Hanumantha Rao, additional junior civil judge in Warangal.According to N Manohar, the university’s additional controller of examinations, the candidates were taking their exams in Room No 102 when a team headed by him made a surprise visit.
The judges were caught on camera copying from books, smuggled notes, and from each other. After learning about the incident, the HC suspended the five from service pending an inquiry. The HC will soon launch disciplinary proceedings against the judicial officers, sources said.
The Warangal Bar Association said the entire episode was a blot on the judiciary. “The judiciary is the final recourse for the people to get justice, and if the judges indulge in this kind of malpractice, how can you trust the judgment of the courts?” asked Ravi Kumar of the association.