SC collegium overrules govt on Calcutta HC chief justice

NEW DELHI: The five-member Supreme Court collegium, headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, overruled the Centre’s objections and reiterated its January 10 recommendation transferring Telangana high court chief justice T B Radhakrishnan as chief justice of Calcutta HC.

The Centre had returned the January 10 recommendation to the collegium for reconsideration giving certain grounds to oppose Justice Radhakrishnan’s transfer to Calcutta HC as CJ. The collegium, also comprising Justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde, N V Ramana and Arun Mishra, met on Tuesday and signed a recommendation which said, “While making the January 10 recommendation, the Collegium had considered all aspects pointed out by the government for seeking reconsideration thereof. Nothing new has been brought to our notice. The Collegium, therefore, resolves to reiterate its January 10 recommendation for transfer of Justice T B Radhakrishnan to Calcutta HC.”

The collegium also rejected representation of Justice M V Muralidharan of Madrash HC against his transfer to Manipur HC “for better administration of justice”. Justice Muralidharan had requested the collegium to allow him to function for the time being at Madras HC or in the alternative at Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala or Orissa HC instead of being sent to Manipur HC. “It is not possible to accede to his request,” it said while reiterating its January 17 recommendation.

Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari was recommended to be transferred from Rajasthan HC to Allahabad HC on January 15. The judge had requested the collegium to defer his transfer but the collegium rejected his request.