A Supreme Court judge, Justice K.V. Viswanathan, has decided not to participate in a case after discovering he had previously acted as legal counsel for one of the parties involved. The case was being reviewed by the court when this information came to light.
Justice Viswanathan was appointed directly to the Supreme Court on May 19, 2023. Before his appointment, he was recognized as a senior advocate in April 2009 and was highly regarded among lawyers.
The case, filed by Alchemist Asset Reconstruction Company Private Limited, was initially heard by a bench led by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan on April 1. The bench noted that Justice Viswanathan had earlier represented the appellant in related proceedings.
Following this revelation, the bench recalled its previous order from March 17 and instructed that the case be reassigned to another bench as directed by the Chief Justice of India.
Alchemist Asset Reconstruction Company v. Others
The matter involved corporate insolvency resolution processes against a principal borrower. After hearing arguments, the bench had reserved its judgment on March 17. However, upon learning of Justice Viswanathan’s prior role, the case was reconsidered and transferred to another bench.