SC Collegium Stands by John Sathyan's Elevation as Madras HC Judge: Who Is He?

Centre had objected to his elevation because he shared an article published in The Quint that was "critical" of PM.

The Supreme Court Collegium on Wednesday, 18 January, backed its recommendation for the appointment of R John Sathyan as a judge in the Madras High Court, dismissing the objections raised by the Centre over his social media posts.

The Centre had objected to Sathyan's elevation because he shared an article published in The Quint, "which was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." The Intelligence Bureau also found fault with one of his posts regarding the suicide of a NEET aspirant, S Anitha, in Tamil Nadu.

"...the adverse comments of the IB extracted above in respect of posts made by him i.e. sharing an article published in 'The Quint' and another post regarding committing of suicide by a medical aspirant candidate in 2017 will not impinge on the suitability, character or integrity of Shri Sathyan," the collegium said, restating its support for the lawyer's judgeship.