Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari transferred day after HC raised objection

Jagan, on October 6, had written to CJI S A Bobde alleging that the state HC was being used to "destabilise and topple his democratically elected government"

Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari was on Thursday transferred to the Sikkim High Court as its new chief justice.

The development comes a day after the Andhra Pradesh High Court took exception to the SC collegium recommendation and said, "by the transfer of Chief Justice of AP High Court, the government of Andhra Pradesh is bound to get undue benefit" in cases pending against Chief Minister, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court Justice Arup Kumar Goswami, meanwhile, has been posted to the Andhra Pradesh High Court to replace Justice Maheshwari, separate Law Ministry notifications issued on Thursday said.

The SC collegium had on December 14 recommended to the government the transfer of four chief justices of high courts, including Andhra Pradesh High Court's Chief Justice Maheshwari to the Sikkim High Court, weeks after Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy had complained to the CJI about the state's top judiciary.

In an unprecedented move, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister, on October 6, had written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde alleging that the state High Court was being used to "destabilise and topple his democratically elected government".

Dealing with a case, Andhra Pradesh HC on December 30 said, "Immediately after the recommendation for his transfer by the Supreme Court, that too, after publicising of contemptuous letter of accused Chief Minister to the Chief Justice of India, hearing in the batch cases has been stopped."

"After his transfer, there is every likelihood that some time may be consumed in the reconstitution of the Bench and thereafter from zero hearing in those cases may commence," it had added.

The Law Ministry also notified the transfer of Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, as a judge of the Karnataka High Court.

Another notification said Justice Joymalya Bagchi, judge of the Calcutta High Court, has been transferred as a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.