Centre notifies transfer of four Karnataka High Court judges

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday notified the transfers of four Karnataka High Court judges as per the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium.

In April, the Collegium led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna said the decision to transfer was taken to infuse inclusivity and diversity at the level of high courts and to strengthen the quality of the administration of justice.

As per the notification, Justice Hemant Chandangoudar from Karnataka High Court has been transferred to Madras High Court, Justice Krishnan Natarajan to Kerala, Justice Neranahalli Srinivasan Sanjay Gowda to Gujarat, and Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad to Orissa High Court.

Lawyers from bar bodies in Karnataka have opposed the transfer and sought reconsideration of the decision.

The government also notified the transfer of Telangana High Court Justices P Sree Sudha and K Surender to Karnataka and Madras High Courts respectively.

In another decision, the Centre also approved the transfer of Justice Kumbhajadala Manmadha Rao from Andhra Pradesh High Court to Karnataka High Court.

In yet another decision, the government notified the appointment of seven judicial officers as judges of the Gujarat High Court. Their names are Liyakathussain Shamsuddin Pirzada, Ramchandra Thakurdas Vachhani, Jayesh Lakhanshibhai Odedra, Pranav Maheshbhai Raval, Mool Chand Tyagi, Dipak Mansukhlal Vyas, Utkarsh Thakorbhai Desai.