Government Approves Transfer of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma to Calcutta High Court
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Synopsis
On April 1, the Centre confirmed the transfer of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma from the Delhi High Court to the Calcutta High Court based on a Supreme Court Collegium recommendation, amidst concerns raised by Calcutta's advocate associations regarding the implications of the move.
Key Takeaways
- Transfer approved by the Centre
- Recommendation from the Supreme Court Collegium
- Concerns raised by Calcutta advocates
- Allegations against Justice Sharma
- Short tenure before retirement criticized
New Delhi, April 1 (NationPress) On Tuesday, the Centre released a notification regarding the transfer of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, a judge from the Delhi High Court, to the Calcutta High Court. This decision was made following a recommendation from the Supreme Court Collegium.
"Under the authority granted by clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consulting with the Chief Justice of India, has approved the transfer of Shri Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma from the Delhi High Court to the Calcutta High Court, directing him to take office there," read the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.
Recently, the apex court's Collegium, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, sanctioned the proposal for Justice Sharma's relocation to the Calcutta High Court.
"During a meeting on March 27, 2025, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the transfer of Mr. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma from the High Court of Delhi to the Calcutta High Court," stated a note posted on the top court's website.
Subsequently, three advocates' associations associated with the Calcutta High Court submitted a collective memorandum to CJI Khanna, expressing their concerns regarding Justice Sharma's transfer.
"While we recognize the importance of regular transfers in the judicial administration, we believe this transfer does not align with typical practices. We suspect that it is connected to certain allegations regarding the Judge's conduct," noted the joint memorandum, endorsed by the Secretaries of the Calcutta High Court Bar Association, the Calcutta High Court Bar Library Club, and the Incorporated Law Society of Calcutta.
The memorandum also highlighted that the associations had been aware of serious complaints against the Delhi High Court Judge since October 2024, which had also been communicated to the CJI's office.
Furthermore, the memorandum pointed out that brief tenures before retirement do not substantially enhance judicial performance or administration of justice. "Previous experiences with similar transfers have not instilled confidence and may harm the institution's interests. Instead, we urge you to consider transferring back some of our judges currently serving in other High Courts," the joint memorandum concluded.
