New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud Wednesday reiterated its recommendation to transfer Manipur High Court judge justice M V Muralidaran to the Calcutta High Court for better administration of justice.
The collegium, also comprising justices S K Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, Surya Kant, rejected justice Muralidaran’s request to transfer him to his parent high court (Madras High Court) and if that is not feasible, to permit him to continue to function in the High Court of Manipur, instead of transferring him to the high court at Calcutta.
The collegium, in a resolution, said: “On 9 October 2023, the Collegium proposed the transfer of Mr Justice M V Muralidaran, Judge, High Court of Manipur…..to the High Court at Calcutta, for better administration of justice. In terms of the Memorandum of Procedure, we have consulted one of the judges of the Supreme Court who, being conversant with the affairs of the High Court of Manipur, is in a position to offer views on the proposed transfer. We have also consulted the Chief Justice of the High Court at Calcutta."
Justice Muralidaran, by a communication dated 10 October 2023, requested to transfer him to his parent high court and if that is not feasible, to permit him to continue to function in the High Court of Manipur, instead of transferring him to the Calcutta High Court.
The collegium said: “We have considered the requests made by Mr Justice M V Muralidaran in his above communication. The Collegium does not find merit in the requests made by him. The collegium, therefore, resolves to reiterate its recommendation dated 9 October 2023 to transfer Mr Justice M V Muralidaran to the High Court at Calcutta”.
A bench of justice Muralidharan in March this year, ordered the Manipur government to consider a representation by a Meitei organisation seeking scheduled tribe status, which was said to be the immediate trigger for the ethnic violence in the state.
Justice Muralidharan had directed the state government to consider the representation for ST status to the majority Meitei community and write to the Centre within four weeks.
