Delhi High Court Transfers Rohini Judge

Delhi High Court on May 17 shifted District Judge-04 (North-West) Rakesh Kumar-V out of Rohini Courts and attached him to the Delhi Judicial Academy with immediate effect, according to an order issued by Registrar General Arun Bhardwaj. The move followed complaints by lawyers after a courtroom exchange between Kumar and advocate Rajiv Tehlan, the president of the Rohini Court Bar Association, during proceedings on May 16. The High Court’s order also transferred judicial officer Dheeraj Mittal from the academy to Rohini as Kumar’s replacement. The dispute drew wider attention after a video of the exchange circulated online, prompting bar bodies to demand Kumar’s transfer and call for abstention from judicial work on May 18. ### Which judge was moved, and where was he sent? The May 17 order named Rakesh Kumar-V, who was serving as District Judge-04 in North-West district at Rohini, and said he was being attached with the Director, Delhi Judicial Academy in a diverted capacity. The same order said Dheeraj Mittal, who had been serving as Additional Director at the academy in a diverted capacity, would take over as District Judge-04 in Rohini. (delhihighcourt.nic.in) Registrar General Arun Bhardwaj signed the order, which said the postings and transfers were made with immediate effect. The order also said the judicial officer under transfer must notify cases in which judgments or orders had been reserved before relinquishing charge and pronounce them on the fixed date or within two to three weeks. (delhihighcourt.nic.in) ### What set off the dispute inside Rohini Courts? May 16 was the date cited by the Coordination Committee of All Delhi District Bar Associations in its complaint about Kumar’s conduct during court proceedings. ANI, citing the committee’s circular, reported that lawyers described the judge’s conduct toward an advocate as “highly objectionable and unbecoming” and said it had caused “deep resentment and serious concern” among district court bar members. (delhihighcourt.nic.in) Rajiv Tehlan, identified in multiple reports as president of the Rohini Court Bar Association, was the lawyer involved in the dispute with Kumar. India Today and other reports said a video circulating on social media showed a heated verbal exchange between the two inside the courtroom. (aninews.in) ### What did the lawyers’ bodies demand from the High Court? The Coordination Committee of All Delhi District Bar Associations demanded Kumar’s immediate transfer and wrote to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court seeking action, according to ANI. The committee also called for a strike across Delhi district courts on May 18. (aninews.in) Tarun Rana, identified by ANI as coordinator of the committee, said the body had asked the High Court to transfer the judge immediately and take action against him. Bar & Bench reported that the High Court’s decision came after the committee called for suspension of judicial work on Monday across district courts in Delhi. (aninews.in) ### What did the judges’ association say about the video? The Judicial Service Association of Delhi said the recording and circulation of the courtroom video was illegal and sought its removal from social media platforms, according to Moneycontrol. The association described the recording as “clandestine” and said such acts were an assault on the dignity and independence of the judicial institution. (aninews.in) Moneycontrol reported that the association issued its statement after the dispute between Kumar and Tehlan and after the High Court transferred Kumar. That response added a second institutional thread to the episode: the bar bodies focused on the judge’s conduct, while the judges’ body focused on the recording and distribution of courtroom footage. (moneycontrol.com) ### What happens next in Rohini and the Delhi district courts? Dheeraj Mittal is to assume charge as District Judge-04 in Rohini under the High Court’s May 17 order, while Kumar remains attached to the Delhi Judicial Academy. The transfer order says reserved matters must still be notified and pronounced within the prescribed period despite the posting change. (moneycontrol.com) May 18 was the date fixed by the Coordination Committee of All Delhi District Bar Associations for abstention from judicial work across Delhi’s district courts. Whether that action proceeds, narrows or is withdrawn will be the next immediate test involving the bar bodies, the Rohini Court Bar Association and the Delhi High Court administration. (aninews.in) (delhihighcourt.nic.in)