Picture used for representational purpose only

HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court advocates association on Tuesday erupted in anger and decried the decision of the Supreme Court to transfer Justice Sanjay Kumar of Telangana high court to Punjab and Haryana high court. They declared that the advocates would boycott the court work this week as a mark of protest against the decision.

It sought immediate withdrawal of the SC resolution transferring Justice Sanjay to Punjab and Haryana HC. The association’s general body meeting, called by its president T Surya Karan Reddy, unanimously resolved to abstain from work with immediate effect from September 3 to September 7.

The association meeting sent a delegation of lawyers comprising the executive committee of the association and senior advocates to Delhi to meet Chief Justice of India, other judges of the apex court collegium, Prime Minister, Union Law Minister and also the Chief Justice of Telangana HC.

The lawyers’ body decried the way Justice Sanjay was proposed to be sent to Punjab and Haryana high court where he will be placed at serial number 12 in order of seniority.

In Telangana high court, he is at number 2 in order of seniority and is next to Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan. In fact, the Bar said, Justice Sanjay is due for elevation as Chief Justice of any other high court.

Justice Subhash Reddy who rose from the ranks of Telangana HC was CJ of Gujarat HC till November 2018 and he was later elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court. Now there is no CJ representing the State of Telangana.

Hence, Justice Sanjay should have been sent as CJ and sending him to P&H high court as a judge is nothing but doing injustice to Telangana, the agitating lawyers said.

Earlier, all the designated senior advocates of the Telangana high court too described the decision of the SC collegium as unjust and declared that they will abstain from work this week. The HC advocates association filed a public interest litigation (PIL) plea in the Supreme Court to demand fresh guidelines for appointment of judges, CJs and also as judges of the Supreme Court.

It also resolved to request the SC collegium not to transfer judges to this high court from other high courts till all the existing vacancies in the Telangana high court are filled.

