In 2004, ex-judge faced J&K HC wrath in ‘Yatri Hotel’ case

Justice Gandhi, being the vacation judge at that time, heard the plea in January 1997. As multiple adjournments followed, Munshi Ram completed the construction and subsequently withdrew the plea on May 1, 1997.

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In 2003, a division bench of the high court reviewed the petition again and ordered the hotel’s demolition in September 2004. In their order, Justice V K Jhanji and Justice S K Gupta passed scathing remarks against the conduct of Justice Gandhi.

“What shocks the conscience of the court is that order dated January 13th, 1997 in OWP No. 25/97, staying the status-quo order and the notice order of its dismissal, quoted above, in which Munshi Ram was involved, were all passed by one and the same learned Judge [Justice RC Gandhi], having long association with Munshi Ram. The day-to-day proceedings conducted in the civil revision cry hoarse and tell the tale as to how do we conduct ourselves as Judicial Officers in the higher echelons….Law does not debar a Judge from hearing cases filed by or concerning his acquaintances. But it is propriety that demands so; the object being that justice should not only be done but it should seem to have been done,” read the division bench’s order.

The land where the hotel was built was purchased in 1989. Interestingly, Justice Gandhi, then a lawyer, was a witness on the sale deed. Further, his son, Mukesh Gandhi owned a hotel at Patni-top, which was later sold to Munshi Ram’s son.

In 2014, Justice Gandhi had alleged that an “unknown caller” had offered to “deliver Rs 2 crore” for him. He further claimed that the call was part of a conspiracy to “sabotage” the report of the commission of inquiry into the Kishtwar riots, which he headed. However, a Crime Branch probe report accessed by The Indian Express, concluded that the unknown caller was Anil Choudhary, “a front man for conducting most of the land and property related transactions on behalf of Justice R C Gandhi”.