NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court collegium on Thursday appeared to have held back its proposal to transfer Gujarat High Court judge Nikhil S Kariel to the Patna High Court following concerns last week over ad hoc shifting in the higher judiciary.
Justice Kariel was among three judges the other two were from the Telangana and Madras high courts who were proposed to be transferred. The transfer of the other two judges Justice T Raja from Madras HC to Rajasthan HC and Justice A Abhishek Reddy from Telangana HC to Patna HC was formalised at the collegium meeting. In all, proposals to transfer seven high court judges were recommended (see table).
When news broke on November 17 on the proposed transfer of the three judges citing administrative reasons, Bar associations in Gujarat and Telangana were vociferous in their protests immediately. The Tamil Nadu Bar association lodged its protest a day later.
The Gujarat High Court Advocates Association called it a death knell to the independence of the judiciary and announced indefinite abstention from work. The Telangana HC Advocates Association, too, took a similar decision.
When delegations of Gujarat and Telangana Bar associations got to meet Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud in Delhi on November 21 to share their concerns, they got a patient hearing and were persuaded to resume work.
The collegium in its meeting on Wednesday approved proposals to promote two additional judges — Justice N K Vyas and Justice N K Chandravanshi — as permanent judges in the Chhattisgarh High Court.