Madras High Court Chief Justice VK Tahilramani Decides To Resign In Protest Against Her Transfer

Two days after the Supreme Court collegium recommended transfer of Justice VK Tahilramani to Meghalaya High Court, not acceding to her request for reconsideration of her transfer, the incumbent Chief Justice of the Madras High Court has reportedly decided to submit her resignation.

Earlier on Wednesday, the collegium, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, recommended transfer of Justice Tahilramani, who was elevated as the Chief Justice of Madras High Court on August 8 last year, to the Meghalaya High Court.

The collegium recommended her transfer on August 28, after which she had made a representation to the collegium requesting it to reconsider the proposal for transfer.

"The collegium has carefully gone through the aforesaid representation and taken into consideration all relevant factors. On reconsideration, the collegium is of the considered view that it is not possible to accede to her request," said the resolution dated September 3, which was uploaded on the apex court website.

"The collegium, accordingly, reiterates its recommendation dated August 28, 2019 for transfer of Justice V K Tahilramani to Meghalaya High Court," it said.

While holding office as the acting chief justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice Tahilramani had in May 2017 upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of 11 people in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case, which was transferred to Maharashtra from Gujarat by the top court.

The apex court collegium -- also comprising justices S A Bobde, N V Ramana, Arun Mishra and R F Nariman -- has recommended that Meghalaya High Court's Chief Justice Justice A K Mittal be transferred to Madras High Court as its Chief Justice.

It has also recommended transfer of Justice Vivek Agarwal of the Madhya Pradesh High Court to Allahabad High Court and Justice Amit Rawal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the Kerala High Court.

With PTI Inputs