Date: 14.04.

2015

PMK Founder Dr. S. Ramadoss Statement

Revoke the transfer of

Karnataka High Court CJ
It is wrong to have transferred Karnataka chief justice Direndra Heeralal Vagela as Odisha
high court chief justice just a few hours before the National Judicial Appointments
commission Act was notified and the collegium of judges lost their powers to appoint the
judges.
Vagela is a non-controversial and clean judge and hails from Gujarat. He has delivered
several landmark judgements. Ever since AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, convicted by a lower
court in the wealth case, filed an appeal in the Karnataka high court, steps were being taken
to shift Vagela.Vagela stoutly opposed move by chief justice of India to shift him as Sikkim
high court chief justice and due to the opposition, the move was given up.In this
circumstances, with the collegium coming to end, he has been shifted in a hurried manner.
Vagela is tipped become the judge of Supreme Court in a few months and shifting a senior
judge at the last minute is not proper.Vagela is now the head of a 62-judge high court and it is
proper only to shift him to a bigger high court and this has been the procedure followed. But
Vagela has been shifted to Odisha high court which has only 27 judges. Vagela has opposed
this transfer too.
The transfer has come about at a time when the Supreme Court is to deliver its order on
the appointment of Bhavani Singh as special public prosecutor in the wealth case. The court
is expected to deliver its order on Wednesday and if it strikes down the appointment then the
entire case has to be heard once again and the present judge Kumarasamy is scheduled to
retire in August and a new judge has to be appointed. Only Karnataka CJ has the power to
appoint the new judge. Vagela no- nonsense judge who refused to yield to several pressures
in the case earlier. At this juncture the transfer of Vagela raised many doubts.
The actions of granting bail to Jayalalithaa and ordering completion of the wealth case in
the high court within 3 months by chief justice of India Dattu has been criticised in legal circles

Date:
vehemently.In this circumstances, the shifting of Vagela has confirmed certain doubts. Though
Vagela can continue in Karnataka high court for two more months, it will not have any impact
as the court will go on vacation.
It is the responsibility of the Supreme Court and Centre to clear certain doubts in the abrupt
shifting of Vagela and it should also cancel the transfer and allow him to continue till he is
promoted to the Supreme Court.
Yours,

(Dr. S.Ramadoss)