Transferred judge flays 'politics in judiciary'

The row over the transfer of High Court judges flared up on Tuesday with a Delhi High Court judge, who is being shifted to Madhya Pradesh, warning that "internal politics" among judges would ruin the judiciary.

The row over the transfer of High Court judges flared up on Tuesday with a Delhi High Court judge, who is being shifted to Madhya Pradesh, warning that "internal politics" among judges would ruin the judiciary.

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The emotional outburst was by Justice SN Aggarwal, one of the 20 judges being transferred across the country "in public interest" following a decision taken by a panel of five senior most judges of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India HS Kapadia.

Sources said 60-year-old Aggarwal, who has always lived in Delhi, had asked Kapadia not to transfer him citing, personal problems. He has just two years of service left and his wife Bimla, suffering from cardio, psychiatric and kidney-related problems was on regular dialysis.

Sources said Justice Aggarwal believed that a judge and some other "influential neighbours" had complained against him after he held religious functions at his house to seek divine blessings for his ailing wife and it resulted in his transfer.

"I wish to caution all my colleagues, that any divide or internal politics among the judges shall not benefit anybody but only those who are hell bent on ruining this system making frivolous complaints against one or the other judge," Justice Aggarwal said during a full court meeting. Another Judge Justice Aruna Suresh being transferred to Orissa chose not to address the function

"Our justice delivery system commands high respect and the citizens have placed the judiciary on a high pedestal. After me, the court will be manned by 39 judges and my appeal to them is not to work as 39 individual judges but to become a role model for upcoming generations by working as one composite united family," he added.

Support from bar
Delhi High Court Bar Association president AS Chandiok who spoke before Justice Aggarwal also questioned the transfer policy, saying he favoured a judge on the verge of retirement should be transferred to a place of his choice. "Transfer is alright and it has no geographical limitations. But what is baffling is that these judges are being shifted to far-flung areas at the end of their career."