The Centre has notified the transfer of Justice PV Sanjay Kumar from the Telangana High Court to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Justice Kumar is directed to assume charge as the Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on or before October 17. The notification in this regard reads as,

In exercise of the powers 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 Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar, Judge of the Telangana 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 on or before 17th October, 2019

The Supreme Court Collegium had proposed the transfer of Justice Kumar from Telangana to Punjab & Haryana in its resolution of August 28. This proposal of the Collegium had sparked off protests among the members of the Bar. On September 3 this year, the Telangana High Court Advocates’ Association passed a resolution for the abstention of lawyers from appearing in courts throughout Telangana for a week as a mark of protest.

The resolution had also called for a recall of the Collegium resolution proposing the transfer of Justice PV Sanjay Kumar as a judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court.

The THCAA had asserted that as a senior member of the Telangana High Court Judiciary, Justice Kumar ought to have been elevated as the Chief Justice of the High Court. His transfer proposed by the Collegium was viewed as a punitive measure by the Advocates’ Association. Instead, the lawyers had called for the appointment of Justice Kumar as a High Court Chief Justice from the Telangana quota and a letter was also issued by the Senior Advocates in this regard.

With the transfer notification issued today, Justice Kumar will assume his post as the Judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court on or before October 17. He will be the 12th in seniority at this High Court.

[Read notification]