My transfer to Allahabad HC by Collegium in 2018 was meant to harass me: Retiring Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker
The Collegium led by former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra transferred Justice Pritinker Diwaker from Chhattisgarh High Court.
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Balancing a heavy workload is indeed a challenge, retiring Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker said. (Express photo/File) Retiring Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker Tuesday said his transfer to the Allahabad High Court from the Chhattisgarh High Court by the Collegium led by former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was meant to “harass” him.
“Eventually, on March 31, 2009, I was elevated to the Bench. I discharged my duties as a judge in Chhattisgarh High Court till October 2018 to the satisfaction of one and all, and particularly to the satisfaction of my own inner being. Now, a sudden turn of events descended upon me when then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra showered on me some extra affection for reasons still not known to me which entailed my transfer to Allahabad High Court, where I assumed my office on October 3, 2018,” said the retiring CJ in his farewell speech.
“My transfer order seemed to have been issued with an ill intention to harass me. However, as fortune would have it, the bane turned into a boon for me because I received immeasurable support and cooperation from my companion judges as well as from the members of the Bar,” he said.
Earlier this year, the current Collegium led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud recommended Justice Diwaker’s name for the post of the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court. “I am highly thankful to the present Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, who rectified the injustice done to me.”
Talking about his career, Justice Diwaker said, “On November 1, 2000, the High Court of Chhattisgarh came into being and thus, I shifted to Bilaspur. Thereafter, in 2009, when the Collegium offered me judgeship, I was initially reticent to accept such an offer. But finally, after a great deal of deliberation with my family and well-wishers, I gave my consent to become a judge.”
Justice Diwaker said, “It has always been a matter of pride” that he got an opportunity “to work in this great institution which has its unique style of working and traditions.”
“Balancing a heavy workload is indeed a challenge in the Allahabad High Court. Furthermore, this court was subjected to criticism from various corners in relation to its functioning. But I firmly believe that before reaching a particular conclusion, critics must see the difficulties and shortcomings prevailing in the institution from the inside,” he said.
“If I peep into my past. Frankly speaking, I was not extraordinarily academically strong but I always had a passion towards sports activities, and probably it is this inclination which brought about an all-around development in my overall personality. It was next to impossible for me to have a giant dream for performing the pious act of dispensation of justice. But now I realise that everything on the planet can be achieved if one really has an insatiable appetite for knowledge and a sense of responsibility towards the downtrodden in society. Probably this is what made me a part of the justice dispensation mechanism to provide relief to the needy.”
He said it was his father, the late Dr S C Diwaker, who “drove him into the field of law”.
“After completing my law degree, I started my career as an advocate in 1984 in the principal Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court,” said the retiring Chief Justice.
“I never aimed to be a judge, but destiny seems to have steered me in that direction. But I think when you love your profession, time seems to fly, carrying you swiftly towards success.”
He also praised the Lucknow Bench of the high court and said that “its functioning is effective and impressive”.
“The quality of lawyers in Lucknow and their behaviour is commendable,” he said.
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