The Delhi High Court on Sunday issued an order linking a Rohini district judge to the Delhi Judicial Academy, two days after a video surfaced purporting to show the judge having a verbal altercation with a lawyer inside the courtroom.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Judicial Service Association issued a letter of condemnation, describing the alleged recording of court proceedings as an illegal and deliberate act aimed at “shaming the courts” and “terrorizing judicial officials”.
It asked the Delhi High Court to immediately delete videos of the courtroom incident from social media platforms, and the association stated that it stood in solidarity with the district judge because he acted with “integrity” and “independence.”
In an order passed by the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court, District Judge Rakesh Kumar of Rohini Court was ordered to post him as the Principal of Delhi Judicial Academy in the capacity of transferee.
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Meanwhile, Dheeraj Mittal, additional director of the academy, has been transferred in place of Kumar.
The incident occurred on May 15 during a hearing in the case, when the judge and the defense lawyer got into a verbal altercation over which lawyer requested a postponement. An alleged video of the incident shows the judge standing on his podium while addressing the lawyer in a heated tone. The judge was then seen being escorted to his chambers by court staff.
The Coordination Committee of All Bar Associations of District Courts announced that all lawyers must abstain from judicial work on Monday in protest.
The Judicial Service Association has opposed the suspension of lawyers over the issue, terming it illegal as per the Supreme Court guidelines.
