Justice Sandeep N Bhatt was today sworn in as a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, following his recent transfer from the Gujarat High Court..In his speech at the swearing-in ceremony, Justice Bhatt said that the Madhya Pradesh High Court for long has been a beacon of justice and independence, and that he considered it his honour to join."I have come from the land of Lord Dwarkadhish and Somnath Mahadev to this land of Maa Narmada and Baba Mahakal to perform my pious obligations and constitutional duties," the judge said.While thanking the judges and lawyers of the Gujarat High Court for their presence at the ceremony, Justice Bhatt said that the Bar and Bench are supplementary and complementary to each other."The Bar and Bench are two sides of a coin in the administration of justice," he added..The Supreme Collegium had in August proposed the transfers of 14 High Court judges, including Justices Bhatt. However, the Central government notified his transfer only on October 14. Justice Bhatt's transfer had been opposed by the Gujarat Bar, which decided to abstain from court work on August 26.A delegation from the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association (GHCAA) had also met Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai to urge the Collegium to reconsider its proposal. It was alleged that the transfer of Justice Bhatt was the outcome of certain judicial orders passed by him against the High Court's administrative side..Justice Bhatt in a judicial order had raised serious questions over the conduct of a judicial officer in the Gujarat High Court Registry. Soon after Justice Bhatt's order, his roster was changed by Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal.In another order, Justice Bhatt had expressed surprise that a 2023 order for installation of CCTV cameras in the court premises had not been implemented despite a direction to comply with it by January 2024.Justice Bhatt's order was subsequently challenged by the Gujarat High Court before a Division Bench, which expunged his remarks against the Registry.Puisne judges of the High Court cannot encroach upon the supremacy of the Chief Justice when it comes to the administrative control, regulation and functioning of the Registry and its staff, a Division Bench wrote in the judgment..Justice Bhatt was elevated as a judge of the Gujarat High Court in 2021. He had been a lawyer since 1993.
