Days after her transfer to the Meghalaya High Court, the chief justice of Madras High Court, Justice VK Tahilramani has submitted her resignation. She decided to step down after the Supreme Court collegium declined her request to reconsider her transfer.
The chief justice officially tendered her resignation to President Ramnath Kovind and also sent a copy to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Tahilramani's office said on Saturday.
"I am no more part of the system and will be sending in my resignation to the President of India and Chief Justice of India," Tahilramani told senior Supreme Court judge Indira Jaising on Friday while informing her of her decision to resign, reports state.
While the transfer is a progress for CJ Mittal of the Meghalaya High Court, CJ Tahilramani would have to face a step down after heading a court with 75 judges to one with only three in Meghalaya.
On August 28, the Supreme Court collegium, headed by CJI Gogoi recommended Tahilramani's transfer to the Meghalaya High Court. CJ Mittal was already transferred to Chennai.
"The collegium has carefully gone through the aforesaid representation and taken into consideration all relevant factors. On reconsideration, the collegium is of the considered view that it is not possible to accede to her request," the resolution dated September 3 said on the Supreme Court website.
It went on to say, "The collegium, accordingly, reiterates its recommendation dated August 28, 2019, for transfer of Justice V K Tahilramani to Meghalaya High Court."
Tahilramani was instated as the Chief Justice in Madras High Court in August last year. Before that, she presided as the acting Chief Justice of the Mumbai High Court. One of the high profile cases she presided over was when she convicted 11 people in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case.
