I had mentioned in my post 'Investigate Dattu ' that one of the persons to whom I had given the dossier containing a lot of documentary material prima facie showing large scale corruption by the present Chief Justice of India Justice Dattu, was Mr. Dhananjaya Mahapatra, a journalist in the 'Times of India'. I also emailed my post to him
In response, on May 14, 2015 Dhananjaya Mahapatra sent me this email :
Few clarifications on Mr. Katju's mail
Just 10 days before Justice Dattu's elevation, Justice Katju had called me to his house saying he had something very important to tell. When i reached his official residence, as he was the PCI chief then, he handed me over a bunch of papers terming them as proof of alleged irregularities in land deals relating to Justice Dattu.
He implored me to do the story immediately. I told him that stories are not done in such manner. I further told him that the documents ( in the dossier ) need to be verified at ground level, and that it would take time. Few days later he asked me to return the bunch of papers, which I did.
This is the reply I sent to Dhananjaya Mahapatra
,Dear Mr. Mahapatra
I have seen your email. I regret to say that you have been somewhat economical of the truth.
Firstly, I telephoned you about the dossier more than a month before Dattu’s appointment as CJI, not 10 days before.
Secondly, I did not ‘implore’ you to do the story immediately. I only requested you to get the matter investigated because if Dattu had indeed done wrong things the matter should be made public, as a wrong person should not be made CJI.
Thirdly, you admit you had the dossier ( not a ‘bunch of papers’ as you term it ) with you for a few days ( because you admit in your email that I asked you to return it after a few days of giving it to you ). What did you do about it in that period ? Did you attempt to verify the authenticity of the documents in that dossier ?
Fourthly, you say you returned the dossier to me. I do not recollect your returning it to me, and in fact I did not need it back as I had more copies with me.
But let us assume your version to be correct. However, some questions still remain. Did you get a copy made of the dossier I gave you, and which you admit you kept with you for a few days ? Any enterprising journalist would do that, as it contained highly newsworthy material.
Fifthly, did you inform your superiors of this dossier, and did you show it to them ?
Sixthly, if you showed it to them, what was their response ?
Unless you clarify these points I will regretfully have to say that you signally failed in your duty as a journalist
Regards
Justice Katju
