President Kovind Approves Transfer Of Madras HC CJ Sanjib Banerjee To Meghalaya, Move Escalates Into Controversy

Earlier, former Madras HC Chief Justice Tahilramani resigned from the post in protest of transfer to Meghalaya HC in 2019. 

President Ramnath Kovind (File Photo)

Chennai: President Ramnath Kovind on Monday accepted the transfer of Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee to Meghalaya High Court based on the recommendation of the collegium, despite requests and protests by lawyers to reconsider the decision. 

In a notification, the Additional Secretary to Government of India said, "In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Shri Justice Sanjib Banerjee, the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court and to direct him to assume charge of the office of Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court." 

According to a report on PTI, the President accepted the transfer based on the recommendation of SC Collegium on September 16 where the members recommended the transfer of Justice Banerjee from chartered HC with 75 judges to an HC with a strength of two judges. 

However, several sections including senior lawyers of Madras High Court wrote the Collegium and resorted to protest to take back the recommendation once it was made public on November 9. Major lawyers' bodies in Chennai including Madras HC Advocates Association (MHAA) with 20,000 members, Madras Bar Association and an elite group of advocates passed a resolution against the recommendation of the collegium. 

Earlier, former Madras HC Chief Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani resigned from the post in protest of transfer to Meghalaya HC in 2019.