Jutice Muralidhar Transfer On SC Collegium’s Recommendation: Law Min

NEW DELHI: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said Justice S Muralidhar of the Delhi High Court was transferred on the recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium and accused the Congress of politicising a routine transfer.

Muralidhar was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, on a day when a bench headed by him expressed "anguish" over the Delhi Police's failure to register FIRs against alleged hate speeches by BJP leaders Parvesh Verma, Kapil Mishra and Anurag Thakur.

A notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice states that the President took the decision after consulting the Chief Justice of India.

The notification, however, does not mention when he has to take the charge of his office.

He added that a "well-settled process" was followed in the transfer of Justice Muralidhar to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

"By politicising a routine transfer, Congress has yet again displayed its scant regard for the judiciary," Prasad said in a series of tweets.

The Congress has hit out at the government alleging that the Modi dispensation was waging a battle of revenge against the judiciary.

Taking a dig at the government over Muralidhar's "sudden" transfer, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Remembering the brave Judge Loya, who wasn't transferred."

Loya, who was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case of Gujarat, died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter.

Upping the ante against the Modi government, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Centre's attempts to "muzzle" justice and "break people's faith in an upright judiciary are deplorable".

Also Read | Northeast Delhi Violence: Death Toll At 34

Also Read | Judge Hearing Delhi Violence Case Transferred To Punjab & Haryana HC