HYDERABAD: In a significant development, Justice PV Sanjay Kumar, the senior-most judge of the Telangana High Court, was transferred as Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was directed to assume charge of his new office on or before October 17. The Ministry of Law and Justice on Thursday issued a notification stating that the President of India, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, has transferred Justice Sanjay Kumar. With this transfer, the strength of Telangana High Court judges will become 12, apart from the Chief Justice, as against the sanctioned strength of 24.
On August 28, the Supreme Court collegium resolved to recommend the Central government to transfer Justice Sanjay to Punjab and Haryana High Court in the interest of better administration of justice. The Centre forwarded the resolution to the President of India for approval. Expressing displeasure with this transfer, the members of the Telangana High Court Advocates’ Association had registered protests by boycotting the court proceedings between September 4 and 7.
At its extraordinary executive committee meeting, the association passed a resolution unanimously condemning the transfer of Justice Sanjay Kumar as a puisne judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The association wanted the Apex Court collegium to consider his elevation as Chief Justice to any appropriate High Court, being the senior-most judge of the present High Court, as no judge of this court is presently appointed and working as the Chief Justice. Due to this transfer, Justice Sanjay Kumar will be at 12th place in the seniority list of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, comprising 48 judges.
Justice Sanjay Kumar was born on August 14, 1963. His father P Ramachandra Reddy was the former advocate general of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh High Court. He did his graduation in commerce from Nizam College in the city and secured a law degree from Delhi University in 1988 and enrolled as a member on the rolls of the AP Bar Council in 1988 and was attached to the office of his father and gained exposure to various branches of law.
After the retirement of his father, he practised independently and represented the AP High Court and subordinate judiciary, HPCL, IOCL and special officer to urban land ceilings, Hyderabad, in the AP High Court.
He also served as government pleader in the high court from 2000 to 2003 before his elevation to the bench as an additional judge of AP High Court on August 8, 2008. He assumed charge as a permanent judge on January 20, 2010.