Justice T Vinod Kumar takes oath as Madras High Court judge more than 2 weeks after transfer

More than two weeks after the Central government notified his transfer from the Telangana High Court, Justice T Vinod Kumar on Thursday took oath as a judge of the Madras High Court.

The oath was administered by Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava. Speaking at the event, Justice Kumar said,

"It's honour to be part of this legendary institution which stood strong through the trails of time and has played an important role in shaping the fabric of social justice of our country."

He added that the "cause of helpless litigants" can only be answered when the Bar and the Bench work in harmony. Justice Kumar also said that he was looking forward to living in Chennai.

"On a personal note, having been a plateau dweller so far, I am excited about the prospect of living in the proximity of the sea, and should time permit, even take long walks along the beach, which I have never done before. I believe that this chapter of my service will forever be close to my heart, and I would like to thank everyone for being part of today's swearing-in ceremony and for extending warm welcome to me," he said.

Tamil Nadu Advocate General PS Raman spoke at the oath ceremony.

"I genuinely believe your lordship will feel at home in Tamil Nadu," Raman said, while welcoming Justice Kumar.

Justice Kumar enrolled as an advocate in 1988 after studying law at Osmania University. He was a tax lawyer and remained a Senior Standing Counsel for the Income Tax department.

He was elevated to the Bench in August 2019. The Supreme Court Collegium on May 26 recommended Justice Kumar's transfer to the Madras High Court. The government cleared the same on July 14.

Bar & Bench on July 28 had reported that Justice Kumar continued to work at his parent High Court even after his transfer was notified. It was till Monday afternoon that the judge heard and decided cases at the Telangana High Court.

In contrast, the other 18 High Court judges whose transfers were cleared by the Central government on July 14, had already joined their respective High Courts.

Interestingly, no farewell event could be held for Justice Kumar at the Telangana High Court.