New Delhi, May 26 (PTI): Fifty-four members of Rajya Sabha have petitioned its chairman for removal of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana High Court judge CV Nagarjuna Reddy for alleged interference in the judicial process and hurling casteist abuses against a junior Dalit judge.

The MPs have given a notice of a motion for removal of Justice Reddy, claiming there was ‘enough prima facie material’ to start the process of inquiry under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 against him.

In December last year, a large group of members of the Upper House had made an attempt to get Justice Reddy removed, but it failed as some MPs withdrew.

The fresh notice, signed by 54 MPs belonging to the Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI(M) and other parties, has alleged that the High Court judge ‘interfered in the judicial process’ which included ‘physical assault’ and ‘abusing’ a junior Dalit judge S Rama Krishna of Rayachoty on ‘caste lines’.

The MPs have claimed that Justice Reddy ‘victimised’ Krishna for ‘not submitting to his illegal demands’.

He ‘misused’ his position as a High Court judge of undivided Andhra Pradesh to ‘use the subordinate judiciary to victimise’ Krishna, they said.

Justice Reddy has also been accused by the MPs of possessing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income and non-declaration of assets to the HC chief justice and the public, in violation of the full court resolution of 1997.

According to one of the MPs, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Hamid Ansari has sought the advice of Chief Justice of India J S Khehar on the notice.