The Supreme Court on Friday quashed an order passed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in which Justice Rakesh Kumar had strongly slammed the Collegium and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

A two-judge bench of the top court, headed by Justice Bela M Trivedi and also comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal, reversed all the  observations in the High Court and disposed of the matter.

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the Andhra Pradesh government challenging a December 31, 2020 order passed by Justice Kumar. Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Niranjan Reddy and Mahfooz Nazki appeared for the Andhra Pradesh government.

Justice Kumar had passed the order and observations after hearing a recusal application filed by the State government seeking the judge’s recusal from a case involving a challenge to the auction of State land. In the order, Justice Kumar had expressed his strong disapproval at the SC Collegium in relation to the transfer of two Chief Justices, while also castigating the Jagan-led regime in the State for its apparent attempts to undermine the High Court