Mathews J Nedumpara
98205 35428
10th June 2026.
The threat Justice G.S. Patel faces today to himself and his family members ought to be a matter of great concern not merely for the members of the bar and the bench, but for the public at large. However, there is hardly any such concern or sympathy I could see from the members of the bar or litigants in Mumbai. Why? While being a judge, Justice Patel ill-treated ordinary lawyers and litigants and favoured the rich and super-rich and the kith and kin of judges and powerful politicians and lawyers. The classic example is the favours he has done to Abhinav Chandrachud, son of former CJI. There are ever so many allegations of corruption. Senior lawyers of the Appellate side used to tell me, “Justice Patel has opened his shop wide open; justice is sold. Nedumpara you should do something.”
2.There cannot be any smoke without fire. But when it comes to allegations of corruption, Justice Patel is not the odd one. There are allegations against many. And in the face of such allegations they are elevated to the Supreme Court or as Chief Justices of High Courts.
3.To people who find fault with my not doing enough to combat corruption, I have only one thing to say. I was the first person to complain against Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan of corruption. It was one of the most difficult decisions I took in my life. Justice Balakrishnan is a fellow Malayalee; before him I have appeared many times as a young lawyer during my early years of practice. Unlike Justice Patel, who was unthinkably arrogant and rude, Justice Balakrishnan was a down-to-earth person, humble, polite and helpful. A relief-oriented judge.
- To be fair to Justice Patel, he has a sharp mind and quick grasping. Very intelligent. He was good in the initial years of elevation. But things changed as time passed; when he became a senior judge, he became a synonym of what a judge ought not to be.