AGARTALA, Feb 27 (TIWN): After Delhi High Court judge S. Muralidhar was transferred overnight during Delhi riot case hearing, National Congress recalls how Justice Akil Abdulhamid Kureshi (Tripura's incumbent High Court Chief Justice) was punished without appointment because he sent Amit Shah to jail in a murder case in 2010. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also mentioned other Justices who faced same troubles. The Congress has attacked the Centre over transfer of Justice S Muralidhar from Delhi High Court to Punjab and Haryana High Court. (Shah was arrested on 25 July 2010 in connection with the Sohrabuddin case. He was charged with the murder, extortion, and kidnapping among other charges. At one time, Shah was considered as one of the main contenders for the Gujarat Chief Minister's post)

“This is a classic case of hit-and-run injustice by the BJP government,” Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said while addressing a press conference on Thursday morning. “It looks like those ho give justice in the country won’t be spared,” he added.

“Justice Muralidhar was hearing cases against BJP leaders who have made inflammatory speeches. This has exposed the politics of revenge and pressure practiced by the BJP,” Surjewala added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JATLNaMg978&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR14HgEAcvI1BP3CoYlCRZoZPxuHXSaDjsfIO32S3T6KJdIhCR3XJRBGwI8 TIWN YouTube Video Feb 27, 2020

The notification, issued on late Tuesday evening, said Justice Muralidhar was directed to assume charge as a judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The Supreme Court collegium - the panel of the apex court’s top three judges led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A Bobde - had recommended Justice Muralidhar’s transfer on February 12.

The Delhi High Court Bar Association had responded to the recommendation with shock and “unequivocally and in the strongest possible terms” condemned the recommendation. High court lawyers had also abstained from work for one day in protest on February 20.

The collegium’s decision was considered unusual by the lawyers because senior high court judges are transferred from their parent high court only to take over as Chief Justice of a high court.

Transfer of a high court judge to another high court as senior judge who is not a chief justice is many times viewed as a punishment transfer.

At the Delhi High Court, Justice Muralidhar is the third senior-most judge after chief justice DN Patel and justice GS Sistani.

Just hours before the government issued orders for his transfer, Justice Muralidhar had held a midnight hearing at his residence to order the police to rescue 22 people stuck in a local hospital in north-east Delhi, one of the many trouble spots in the eastern part of the national capital that was affected due to communal riots.