Campaign for Judicial Reform and Accountability condemns transfer of Justice Muralidhar

The Campaign for Judicial Reform and Accountability (CJRA) on Thursday condemned the "midnight transfer" of Justice S Muralidhar from the Delhi High Court to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

This transfer has nothing to do with the public interest and everything to do with punishing an honest and courageous judicial officer for simply carrying out his constitutional duties, CJRA, an NGO, alleged in a statement issued today.

"We are fully cognizant that Justice Muralidhar's transfer was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium on December 12 but the rushed manner in which the notification has been issued by the Union Government cannot be ignored," the statement said.

Questioning the timing of the transfer, CJRA said that the notification for his transfer was issued on the evening he had done his duty to hold Delhi Police and the Union Government accountable for the loss of lives in the Delhi riots organized by the ruling party.

It tells us the true nature of his transfer, the statement said.

"Whereas previous judges have been given a reasonable time to make the move to the transferred High Courts, that Justice Muralidhar's transfer was to take place with immediate effect, only highlights the punitive nature of this move," it added.

CJRA said that the transfer of Justice Muralidhar resembles the punitive transfers undertaken during Emergency by the then Congress government, against High Court judges who had simply done their constitutional duty.