Ahmedabad, Aug 11 (IANS) The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the transfer of four Gujarat High Court judges, including the judge who had recently delivered the verdict refusing to grant a stay on the conviction for defamation to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Justice Hemant Prachhak,who upheld the lower court's two-year imprisonment verdict against Rahul Gandhi in the 'Modi surname' defamation case, is to be transferred to Patna High Court in Bihar.
Justice Samir Dave has been recommended for the Rajasthan High Court; Justice A.Y. Kogje for the Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh; and Justice Geeta Gopi for the Madras High Court in Tamil Nadu.
The Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and consisting of Justices S.K. Kaul, Sanjeev Khanna, B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant, is responsible for these judicial transfer decisions.
Additionally, the Supreme Court Collegium has also recommended the transfer of Justice C. Manavendranath Roy from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, and Justice Avneesh Jhingam from the Punjab & Haryana High Court to Gujarat.
These transfers are seen as a part of the regular process of ensuring a judicious balance and broadening the experience of the judiciary across the country. The recommendations are now pending approval and are expected to be executed in the coming weeks.