Justice Muralidhar hearing Delhi violence case transferred to Punjab high court

Delhi high court judge Judge S Muralidhar was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana high court, days after the Supreme Court collegium made the recommendation.

The judge was hearing the Delhi violence case and the late evening notification came on the day when a bench headed by him expressed "anguish" over the Delhi Police's failure to register FIRs against alleged hate speeches by three Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.

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.

The Supreme Court collegium had in its meeting held on February 12 recommended to transfer Justice Muralidhar from the Delhi high court to the Punjab and Haryana high court.

The Delhi High Court Bar Association last week condemned the transfer recommendation and also passed a resolution unanimously regarding this.

The Bar Association had expressed shock and dismay at the transfer of one of the finest judges by the collegium of the Supreme Court.

Condemning his transfer, the Bar Association had said: "Such transfers are not only detrimental to our noble Institution but also tend to erode and dislodge the faith of the common litigant in the justice dispensation system."

The Delhi High Court Bar Association had requested for a revisit of the issue and to recall the move to transfer Muralidhar.

The Delhi High Court Bar Association also abstained from work last week as a token of protest against the transfer and said: "It is a rarest of rare case, the majesty of our revered institution is at stake."

On Wednesday a division bench of Justice Muralidhar and Justice Talwant Singh, while hearing a plea seeking a judicial enquiry into the violence and registration of FIR against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Pravesh Verma for allegedly making hate speeches, adjourned the matter till Thursday.

The bench on Wednesday afternoon also directed the Delhi police to examine the videos related to hate speeches by political leaders, which allegedly led to violence in northeast Delhi, and take a decision in the matter.

Justice S Muralidhar along with Justice Anup J. Bhambhani also heard a matter related to Delhi violence on Tuesday midnight. They heard a plea seeking safe passage of injured victims of violence in New Delhi to medical institutions with adequate facilities.

The bench had than directed the Delhi police to ensure safe passage of the injured victims by deploying all resources, as well as to make sure they receive immediate emergency treatment.

After completing his law practice, Justice Muralidhar shifted to the Supreme Court and Delhi high court in 1987. He was appointed judge of Delhi high court in 2006.

With inputs from ANI