On the day, Justice Muralidhar of Delhi HC grilled Centre and Delhi Police over violence in NCR and inaction in filing FIRs against BJP leaders for their hate speeches, he is transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High court.
The Ministry of Law and Justice on Wednesday, 26 February notified the transfer of Justice S Muralidhar from the Delhi High Court to the Punjab & Haryana High Court.
A notification from the Department of Justice in the Ministry of Law and Justice said: “In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Shri Justice S Muralidhar, Judge of the Delhi High Court, as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and to direct him to assume charge of office in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.”
The notification follows the recommendation passed by the Collegium headed by Chief Justice of Indian S A Bobde.
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended his transfer on 12 February. When the decision became public on 19 February, it was widely condemned, including by the Delhi High Court Bar Association, whose members abstained from work on 20 February in protest.
Protesting Justice Muralidhar’s transfer, the Delhi High Court Bar Association had urged the Collegium to “revisit” and recall its recommendation, saying such transfers “tend to erode and dislodge the faith of the common litigant in the justice dispensation system”.
Justice Muralidhar in an urgent midnight hearing on the night of 25-26 February ordered the Delhi police to allow the prompt passage of ambulances and emergency services in the riot-hit areas.
Justice Muralidhar is known for his strong judgements on communal violence and human rights of poor and marginalised.
He has delivered the Hashimpura verdict convicting personnel of the Uttar Pradesh PAC for the 1987 mass killings. He had also convicted Sajjan Kumar for his role in 1984 anti -sikh riots. He was part of the two-judge bench along with then Chief Justice A P Shah that delivered the landmark verdict decriminalising homosexuality.
