Justice Muralidhar transferred: High Court judge who grilled Centre, police over Delhi violence

High Court Justice S Muralidhar, who heard the petition on Delhi violence over Citizenship Amendment Act and criticised the Centre and police, has been transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. A notification regarding Justice Muralidhar's transfer was issued by the Narendra Modi government around 11 PM on Wednesday night.

The notification read: "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 his office in the Punjab and Haryana High Court".

Although the government notification didn't give any time-frame for when Justice Muralidhar should assume his charge as a judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, such transfer orders usually take two weeks' time to join the duty.

SC collegium recommends transfer

The transfer of the judge was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium on February 12. The Delhi High Court Bar Association had condemned the transfer of Justice Muralidhar and demanded the Supreme Court collegium to recall their decision.

While hearing the plea on Delhi violence, Justice Muralidhar had Wednesday said that the court will not allow another 1984-like incident to happen in the country and asked the Centre to work with the Delhi government to stop the unrelenting violence, in which at least 28 people have died while over 200 are injured.

He had also seen the videos of "hate speeches" by BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Abhay Verma and Parvesh Verma and asked the police to register FIRs against them for inflammatory speeches.

Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra had Sunday threatened that once the US President Donald Trump had left India, his people will forcefully remove the anti-CAA protesters from Jaffrabad roads. Mishra had given Delhi Police a three-day ultimatum and said that after that, they will not listen to them. Following Mishra's remarks, massive clashes between pro and anti-CAA protesters broke out in northeast Delhi leaving 28 dead and hundreds injured.