In a swift and sudden development, chief justice of Telangana high court Raghavendra Singh Chowhan was on Tuesday transferred from the post, according to reports from New Delhi.
Jutice Chowhan has been replaced by Justice Hima Kohli as the new chief justice of Telangana high court.
The Narendra Modi government gave the nod to Justice Kohli’s appointment following a recommendation from the collegium of Supreme Court judges.
Orders to this effect are expected to be issued shortly. Sixty-one-years old Justice Kohli is presently serving as a judge in Delhi high court.
Interestingly, Justice Chowhan was appointed as the CJ of Telangana high court only in June 2019 and one doesn’t know the reason for his sudden transfer within one and a half years.
There have been reports that the collegium had recommended the transfer of even Andhra Pradesh high court chief justice J K Maheshwari, who took charge in October 2019. However, there have been no orders to this effect as of now.
In fact, the Jagan government has been strongly opposing Justice Maheshwari, who had earlier served as Madhya Pradesh chief justice, as he had been giving a series of negative judgements against the government since then.
Justice Maheshwari’s judgements have been embarrassing to the Jagan government on various issues – right from cancellation of power purchase agreements to restoration of Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar as state election commissioner Amaravati capital issue.
He has taken serious view of the alleged abusive comments made by the YSR Congress party leaders and social media activists against the judiciary. Naturally, his transfer, if it happens, will be a big relief for the Jagan government.
