Chief Justice of India R M Lodha today took exception to the government's handling of the recommendation for appointment of senior lawyer Gopal Subramanium as judge of the Supreme Court. He said it was not proper for the executive to unilaterally segregate his name from three others who were appointed to the top court.

He asserted that independence of judiciary was of utmost importance to him and its Independence will never be compromised. He was speaking at a function to bid farewell to Justice B S Chauhan who demitted office today on attaining the age of superannuation. Justice Lodha also expressed his disappointment over Subramanium going public with his grievances when he was abroad.

Chief justice of Calcutta High Court Arun Mishra, Chief justice of Orissa High Court Adarsh Goel and eminent lawyer Rohinton Nariman were the other three names recommended by the collegium which the government accepted. The three were later appointed as judges of the Supreme Court.