11 Delhi judges, including judge hearing Delhi Riots cases, transferred by Delhi High Court

Eleven judicial officers of Delhi district courts, including a special judge hearing cases relating to Delhi riots of February 2020, have been transferred to other assignments/courts, revealed the orders related to transfer postings issued by the Delhi High Court.

Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav who had been hearing Delhi riots cases, has now been posted as Special CBI Judge, Rouse Avenue Courts. According to the transfer order, Special Judge (CBI) Virender Bhatt will be replacing judge Yadav.

Judge Yadav had been critical of the investigations carried out by the Delhi Police in Delhi riots cases.

One of the orders authored by the judge in a case, critiqued the manner in which chargesheets were filed.

“It is noticed that after filing the half-baked chargesheets in Court, the police hardly bothers about taking the investigation to a logical end. The accused persons, who have been roped in multiple cases continue to languish in jails as a consequence thereof,” the order stated.

In another order, the judge commented on the “failure of the investigating agency” in incorporating scientific methods.

"I am not able to restrain myself from observing that when history will look back at the worst communal riots since partition in Delhi, it is the failure of investigating agency to conduct proper investigation by using latest scientific methods, will surely torment the sentinels of democracy," the judge said.

Other Additional Sessions Judges transferred are Sandeep Yadav, who presided over family court at south-east district Saket courts and Sanjeev Kumar Singh (Electricity Court). They both will replace each other.

Besides, Magistrate Court judges who have been transferred to other courts are Shama Gupta, Rajani Ranga, Fahad Uddin, Jyoti Maheshwari, Neha Pandey, Akanksha Garg and Aishwarya Sharma.

[Read Transfer Orders]