SC Collegium Defends Its Decision To Transfer Madras High Court Chief Justice Tahilramani To Meghalaya High Court

The Supreme Court has stated that Madras High Court Chief Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani's transfer to the Meghalaya High Court was made after full and complete deliberations by the Collegium.

The Supreme Court stated that it would not be in the interest of the institution to disclose the reasons for transfer.

Supreme Court Secretary General Sanjeev S Kalgaonkar issued a statement recently after taking into consideration media reports relating to transfer of chief justices as well as judges of high courts.

"However, if found necessary, the Collegium will have no hesitation in disclosing the reasons for transfer," the statement read.

"Further each of the recommendation was made after full and complete deliberations and the same were unanimously agreed upon by the Collegium," the statement said.

"As directed, it is stated that each of the recommendations for transfer was made for cogent reasons after complying with the required procedures in the interest of better administration of justice," the statement read.

Justice Tahilramani was transferred to the Meghalaya High Court by the Supreme Court collegium, which also declined her appeal to reconsider the transfer decision.

Following that development, Justice Tahilramani sent her resignation letter to President Ram Nath Kovind. She also sent a copy of her resignation letter to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.

She was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on August 28, 2018.

Though her resignation is yet to be accepted, Justice Tahilramani has abstained from court proceedings after she resigned.

Justice Tahilramani was appointed as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on August 8, 2018, transferred from Bombay High Court where she was acting chief justice between 2015 and 2017.

During her tenure at the Bombay High Court, Justice Tahilramani had on May 7, 2017, upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of 11 people in the post-Gujarat riots Bilkis Bano gangrape case, while setting aside the acquittal of seven persons, including policemen and doctors.

The Bilkis Bano case had been transferred to Maharashtra from Gujarat by the Supreme Court.