NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Sunday transferred Rohini Courts’ district judge accused of misbehaving with a lawyer in the courtroom to the Delhi Judicial Academy in a “diverted capacity” with immediate effect.
A heated exchange between the lawyer and the judge was captured on a mobile phone, and the video of the incident had gone viral on social media. The altercation reportedly began after the judge denied the lawyer’s request for a pass over. The lawyer was president of the Rohini Court Bar Association.
District Judge Rakesh Kumar was replaced by Delhi Judicial Academy Additional Director Dheeraj Mittal. A court source said that an inquiry has also been ordered in the matter. The Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations, meanwhile, has requested all members of the District Court Bar Associations of Delhi to abstain from judicial work on Monday across all district courts of Delhi “in protest and to uphold the dignity and independence of the legal fraternity”.
Reacting to the transfer, committee coordinator advocate Tarun Rana termed the high court action as “swift” and said, “The judge’s judicial work has been taken away. The action means the high court has, prima facie, found substance in the complaint against the conduct of the judicial officer. It is very rare to pass an order on a Sunday sending a judicial order in diverted capacity.”