India's top court to hear chief justice impeachment plea

NEW DELHI –A five-judge constitution bench of India's top court will hear a petition Tuesday challenging the rejection of the impeachment notice against Chief Justice Dipak Misra, officials said. 

The petition was moved by two Congress party lawmakers to challenge the rejection of the impeachment notice by Chairman of Upper House of the Indian parliament (Rajya Sabha) M. Venkaiah Naidu. 

The Congress party lawmakers claimed reasons given were "wholly extraneous" and not "legally tenable." "Naidu's decision was illegal and arbitrary and taken in a cavalier, cryptic and abrupt manner, without an inquiry," reads the Congress party petition. 

"The five-judge bench will be headed by Justice A. K. Sikri," an official said. "The other members are Justices S. A. Bobde, N. V. Ramana, Arun Mishra and A. K. Goel." Last month, Naidu rejected the impeachment notice of seven opposition parties demanding the impeachment of the chief justice of India.Enditem 
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