HC Bar Association Requests Transfer of Judge Following Contempt Proceedings Against Advocate

The High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has requested the transfer of an Allahabad High Court judge. This follows the judge's decision to refer a senior advocate for criminal contempt proceedings. The HCBA passed a resolution supporting advocate Satish Chandra Mishra and plans to send it to the Chief Justice of India.

Recently, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ordered criminal contempt proceedings against Mishra. The court stated that his actions could undermine its dignity, prompting a referral to the chief justice. The HCBA convened an emergency meeting to oppose this order by Justice Sangeeta Chandra.

Support from Legal Associations

The Oudh Bar Association initially resolved to boycott Justice Chandra's court. Despite this, many advocates continued their work in her court, including senior lawyers who presented arguments. Later, the association decided to take action against those who participated in court proceedings.

On Sunday, the UP Bar Council also expressed support for Mishra. They unanimously passed a resolution demanding Justice Chandra's transfer to another state. The council insisted she should not handle any judicial work until her transfer is completed.

Details of the Contempt Proceedings

Justice Sangeeta Chandra and Justice B.R. Singh observed that Mishra did not refrain from making allegations against the court despite repeated requests. This was during a hearing on a tender-related writ petition filed by Laxmi Security Guards Services.

Mishra was representing the petitioner firm with assistance from advocates Sunil Chaudhary and Prafulla Tiwari. Senior advocate J.N. Mathur, assisted by B.K. Singh, represented the contesting firm in this case.

Actions Taken by HCBA

The HCBA decided to write to the Supreme Court requesting Justice Chandra's transfer to another state's high court. Anil Tiwari, HCBA president, mentioned that the association's secretary has been tasked with sending the resolutions to the Supreme Court's chief justice promptly.

The UP Bar Council sent their resolution copy to the Chief Justice of India via the Supreme Court's registrar general. They demanded that Justice Chandra be transferred and not assigned any judicial duties until then.

This situation highlights ongoing tensions between legal associations and judiciary decisions in India. The outcome of these requests and resolutions remains uncertain as they await responses from higher judicial authorities.