It is reported from the national capital that Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, whose reputation and functioning has come under a cloud following revelations at a press-meet on Friday by four senior Supreme Court Judges, refused to meet Prime Minister's principal secretary Nripendra Misra on Saturday and sent the latter back after he arrived at his residence.

Misra reportedly left at the doorstep a New Year greeting card that he is said to have been brought to hand over to the CJI.  Justice Chellameshwar, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Madhan P. Lokur and Justice Kurien Joseph had startled the nation on a wintry morning in New Delhi by leveling allegations and accusations of bias against the CJI by the unprecedented method of addressing newsmen.

The Judges’ concern that democracy was under threat had shocked the common man as well as legal luminaries.  The Judges also said that they won’t recommend impeachment of the CJI by Parliament and that it was for the people to decide.  People and the media felt that the simmering flaws in the judiciary had come out in the open with the coming out in the open of senior Judges of the Supreme Court of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly held consultations with Union Law Minister Ravishankar Prasad on the issue and is said to have decided not to ‘interfere’ in the Judges’ tussle for the time being.  On his part, Misra played down the incident of not being able to meet the CJI by saying that he only wanted to drop in at the CJI’s residence on his way back from work.

Congress Party has, in the meantime, demanded an explanation by the Govt. about Misra’s visit to CJI’s residence and the latter’s refusal to meet the former.