DY Chandrachud: Was India’s top judge an icon or a pushover?

Retired high court judge Anjana Prakash told HW news, external that his comment was “dramatic, filmy and laughable and it had brought down the level of judiciary”.

“A judge has to decide cases on principles of law. Where does God come into a judgement? Besides, people have different gods. And if a justice from another faith had said this, would the reaction be the same?” she asked.

Justice Prakash and other critics wondered if he was cosying up to the government for a post-retirement assignment.

In the days preceding his retirement, Justice Chandrachud addressed some of the criticism in interactions with the media.

“The separation of powers doesn’t mean antagonistic relations between the executive and the judiciary, it doesn’t mean that they cannot meet,” he said at an event by the Indian Express newspaper, adding that such meetings were not used “to cut deals”.

“The ultimate proof of our good behaviour lies in the written word – in our judgements. Is it consistent with the constitution or not?”

Justice Chandrachud said his comment on seeking divine guidance was because “I am a person of faith” and “to impute motives to judges is not right”.

He added that courts were facing pressure “from lobbies and pressure groups” and they would praise a decision critical of the government, but if he ruled in favour of the government, they questioned his independence.

At his farewell on Friday, the outgoing chief justice said he was perhaps India’s most trolled judge, but his “shoulders are broad enough to accept all criticism”.

And at the weekend, he told Times of India, external that he believed he had “left the system better than I found it”.

“I’m retiring with a sense of satisfaction,” he said.

Follow BBC News India on Instagram, external, YouTube, external, Twitter , externaland Facebook, external.