Sukesh Chandrasekhar convicted for impersonating SC judge to get bail

Conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar has been convicted by a Delhi Court for impersonating a Supreme Court judge in a bid to intimidate a judicial officer to secure bail. The verdict was announced by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Harshita Mishra of Tis Hazari Courts, which found him guilty under section 507 (criminal intimidation through anonymous communication) of the IPC.

Describing the act as an “absurd theatrical production” to manipulate judicial proceedings, the court said that Chandrasekhar not only crossed the line but leapt over it.

“In this most absurd theatrical production of his, where he impersonated a sitting Judge of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to manipulate an ongoing proceeding, he did not merely cross the line; he leapt over it into the realm of fatal institutional overreach.” Stated the court, as quoted by the Bar and Bench.

Fake judge call to secure bail

The order refers to an incident in April 2017 when Chandrasekhar was in police custody in relation to a corruption case pending before special judge Poonam Chaudhary.

During the hearing, the prosecution stated that the accused gained access to the mobile phone of a constable called Manjeet and called on the landline and personal number of the judge.

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The caller first introduced himself as the personal secretary to a Supreme Court judge, who has been referred to in the judgement only by the initials “KJ”, stated the report.

Then another person, claiming to be the top court judge and claimed that he was calling on behalf of the Union Home Ministry and the Supreme Court Collegium.

The caller asked the judicial officer to immediately release Chandrasekhar on bail or interim bail, threatening her with serious professional consequences if she did not comply.

Judicial officer exposed the impersonation

However, his cover was blown when the judicial officer reached out to the Supreme Court and, upon speaking to the actual private secretary of the judge concerned, was informed that no such call was made and the person named by the caller as the secretary of the judge did not work in the office.

“Orders are passed in courtrooms, not dictated over clandestine telephone calls. Judicial discretion is exercised on the basis of the judicial record, not on the basis of the caller’s designation,” stated the court.

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“He operated under the dangerous belief that if a lie is only grand enough and uttered with sufficient audacity, the rule of law will simply bow its head and step aside. He forgot that impersonating a bureaucrat or a political broker is a transactional crime born of greed but impersonating a Supreme Court Judge or his Secretary, is an act of institutional defiance,” it added.