In the DHJS, five will take charge on repatriation. Jagmohan Singh, on repatriation from North-East Delhi riots claims commission, will take charge as the ASJ at Rohini court. (File Photo)The Delhi High Court on Friday notified the transfers and postings of 256 judges in the cadres of Delhi Judicial Service (DJS) and Delhi Higher Judicial Service (DHJS), including that of the additional sessions judge (ASJ) who was hearing the cancellation report filed by the Delhi Police in the POCSO case lodged against former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Chhavi Kapoor, Additional Sessions Judge (POCSO) of Patiala House court, was transferred to Rouse Avenue court as a special judge.
In June, the Delhi Police had stated that Singh did not sexually harass or assault a minor wrestler who had lodged a complaint against him. The police also requested the court to withdraw the case on the basis of “no evidence” in the matter.
Friday’s notification included the transfer and postings of 23 judges in DHJS and 233 in the DJS. They included the induction of 72 new judges – one in DHJS, Harvinder Singh Johal, and 71 in the DJS. Further, judges were appointed to 26 new courts, including three new courts in DHJS and 23 in DJS. With the creation of new courts, the notification – issued by order of the Delhi High Court and signed by Registrar General Kanwaljeet Arora – spoke about redistribution of work.
The notification in regard to DHJS cadre instructed that principal district and sessions judge (PDSJ) of North “shall withdraw cases from the existing court of district judge (commercial court) and assign the same to the newly-constituted court – district judge (commercial court) 02, North district”. The PDSJ New Delhi was instructed to redistribute work from four district courts to the new court of district judge 05, New Delhi district, to also “enable the courts to dispose old matters expeditiously.” Additionally, PDSJ/HQs “shall withdraw sufficient number of cases” from the existing 12 central district courts and redistribute the same to the 13th district court.
A similar slew of instructions on redistribution of work has been issued to the DJS cadre as well. Three judges have been transferred in the DHJS cadre to preside over vacant courts, including Devender Kumar Jangala, who will replace the vacant court of Dwarka district court judge Aman Pratap Singh, whose services were terminated after a video of him standing up from his chair and shouting at court staff and a counsel had gone viral. Jangala was hearing a Rs 700-crore money laundering case against Supertech chairman R K Arora.
North West Rohini ASJ Jitendra Singh will now be posted in the earlier vacant court of a Special CBI court in Rouse Avenue court complex. This court became vacant after the retirement of Special Judge Rakesh Syal, which was hearing the alleged Waqf Board scam involving AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and the case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, related to the killing of three persons during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
In the DHJS, five will take charge on repatriation. Jagmohan Singh, on repatriation from North-East Delhi riots claims commission, will take charge as the ASJ at Rohini court.
The others included Saurabh Partap Singh Lalar, who will take charge as special NDPS judge at Karkardooma court; Dharmender Rana on repatriation from Armed Forces Tribunal, who will take charge as district judge at Patiala House Court; Gomati Manocha on repatriation from NCPCR, who will take charge as additional sessions judge of special POCSO court in Patiala House Court and Harun Pratap, on repatriation from Lokayukta of GNCTD, who will take charge as presiding officer in motor accident claims tribunal at Karkardooma.