The Bihar Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Employees Association has written to Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and other dignitaries to demand the removal of Patna High Court’s Justice Sandeep Kumar and disciplinary action against him for casteist remarks in the courtroom.

Copies of the letter have also been sent to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of Patna High Court Sanjay Karol, Bihar governor Phagu Chauhan, chief minister Nitish Kumar and Union law minister Kiren Rijiju.

Referring to an incident that occurred in the court of Justice Kumar on November 23, the association president — IAS officer Narmadeshwar Lal — and general secretary Devendra Rajak have written jointly in the letter that a suspended senior Bihar administrative service officer, Arvind Kumar Rajak, had been subjected to casteist remarks after being summoned to provide clarifications on allegations against him.

“Bharti was previously posted as a district land acquisition officer in Purnea. The judge noticed his surname and asked whether he had come into the job through reservation.

“When he replied in the affirmative, the judge said that he had thought the same after seeing his name,” the letter stated.

“The comment of the honourable judge makes it clear that he harbours malice towards the SC and the ST and the downtrodden people cannot expect impartial justice from him.

“We request you to take disciplinary and legal action against Justice Sandeep Kumar to retain the trust of the weaker section of the society in the judiciary,” it said.