Reporter’s Diary: At State Secretariat, theories swirl around probe against judge

Government officials in the Secretariat are also reaching out to their advocate friends in Madras High Court asking for the reasons behind the stand-off between the collegium and the outgoing chief justice. With no official statement or clarification coming from the stakeholders, rumour mills are working overtime. Many staffers attached to the State Law Department say that they have always maintained a cordial relationship with the judge, and government pleaders too believe that Tahilramani is being targeted for some political reasons. One of the popular theories is that some of the Madras High Court rulings went against some very influential people who are close to the Centre. However, certain well-placed sources claim that this ‘witch-hunt’ is the result of an earlier judgment in a controversial high-profile case that has come back to haunt her.