Collegium had discussed proposal to transfer Justice Muralidhar

The Supreme Court Collegium had discussed a proposal to transfer Justice S Muralidhar out of Delhi High Court, reports Indian Express.

The discussion happened twice in the three-member Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi.

As per the report, the matter was discussed first in December, when a Collegium member from the Delhi High Court had advised against it. It was discussed again after Justice Madan Lokur retired from the Collegium but was shelved for the time being.

The report also states that the proposal could be revived later.

Justice Muralidhar began his law practice in Chennai in September 1984. He shifted to the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court in 1987. He was appointed judge of Delhi High Court in 2006.

Justice Muralidhar had recently pronounced orders and judgments which had significant political ramifications. This included orders in Bhima Koregaon arrests and judgment in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in which the Court convicted former Congress MP, Sajjan Kumar.

Justice Muralidhar had also been in the news recently after the Delhi High Court initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against Chartered Accountant and Director of the Reserve Bank of India, S Gurumurthy for his tweets against Justice Muralidhar.

Gurumurthy had shared a tweet alluding to bias on the part of Justice Muralidhar after the judge had passed an order setting aside the transit remand order against activist Gautam Navlakha earlier this month.

Gurumurthy had retweeted a link to a blog called ‘Drishtikone’, titled ‘Why has Delhi High Court Justice Muralidhar’s relationship with Gautam Navlakha not been disclosed?’

Image Courtesy: The Better India