Kiran Raj

The High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, through a notification issued on January 20, 2025, ordered the transfer of 114 judicial officers across Uttar Pradesh. The transferred officers include District and Sessions Judges, Family Court Judges, and Civil Judges. The notification outlined specific appointments to fast-track courts, anti-corruption benches, and special courts, with instructions for immediate compliance to ensure the smooth functioning of the judiciary.

The notification provided details of judicial assignments across various districts in Uttar Pradesh. The restructuring covered roles in District and Sessions Courts, Family Courts, and specialized tribunals. It also included appointments under statutes such as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the U.P. Essential Commodities Act.

Notable appointments included:

• Special Judges and Fast-Track Courts:

• Sri Chandra Shekhar Misra was appointed as Additional District & Sessions Judge/Special Judge, Meerut, under the U.P. Essential Commodities (Special Provisions) Act, 1981.

• Sri Amit Verma was designated as Additional District & Sessions Judge/Special Judge, Kanpur Nagar, under the POCSO Act.

• Sri Anil Kumar Singh-I was assigned as Presiding Officer, Commercial Court No. 1, Agra.

• Family Court Postings:

• Sri Chandra Prakash Tewari-I was posted as Principal Judge, Family Court, Bareilly.

• Sri Harendra Bahadur Singh was posted as Principal Judge, Family Court, Varanasi.

• Smt. Reeta Gupta, previously Principal Judge, Family Court, Gonda, was transferred to Pratapgarh in the same capacity.

• Anti-Corruption and Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT):

• Sri Prahalad Singh-II was appointed as Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Bench, Meerut.

• Sushri Kapila Raghav was posted as Presiding Officer, MACT, Lakhimpur Kheri.

Prominent inter-district transfers included:

• Smt. Babita Rani, transferred from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow as District and Sessions Judge.

• Sri Vishnu Kumar Sharma, moved from Hamirpur to Shahjahanpur as District and Sessions Judge.

• Sri Manoj Kumar Rai, reassigned to Hamirpur as District and Sessions Judge.

The notification also included postings in fast-track courts dealing with crimes against women and appointments under specialized legislations.

The notification provided instructions for the immediate implementation of the transfers, ensuring continuity in judicial processes. It stated: “District & Sessions Judges & Principal Judges of Family Courts shall ensure that no case remains pending in courts falling vacant due to the transfer of presiding officers.”

Judicial officers were directed to take over their new roles promptly, with instructions that charge reports be submitted to the Deputy Registrar of the High Court of Allahabad. The notification stated: “The officers whose names are mentioned above shall hand over charge of their present posts and proceed to take over charge of their new postings immediately.”

Specific provisions were made for the management of staff in courts affected by the transfers to avoid disruptions in judicial administration.

The Allahabad High Court issued the following directives for the smooth execution of the transfers:

• Judicial officers were instructed to assume charge at their new postings without delay.
• District Judges were tasked with managing staff adjustments in vacated courts to ensure uninterrupted functioning.
• It was clarified that officers transferred upon their own request would not be entitled to travel allowances under Rule 42 of Chapter-IV of the Financial Handbook, Volume-III.

[Read/Download notification]