The Delhi High Court on Sunday ordered the attachment of District Judge Rakesh Kumar to the Delhi Judicial Academy after a video showing him in a heated exchange with a lawyer went viral on social media.
The decision to relieve Kumar of judicial work comes on the heels of the Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations Delhi's call to suspend judicial work on Monday across district courts in Delhi.
According to an order released by the High Court Registrar General, the Chief Justice and other High Court judges have decided to attach District Judge-04, North-West, Rohini, Rakesh Kumar with the Delhi Judicial Academy in diverted capacity.Kumar will be replaced by District Judge Dheeraj Mittal, who was earlier posted as Additional Director in the academy.
In the viral video, an advocate - stated to be a Bar leader, is heard accusing the judge of having used a derogatory word against him. The lawyer further is heard telling the judge not to misbehave with him. In response, the judge is heard telling the lawyer not to threaten him.
According to the Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations, Delhi, Kumar had displayed "highly objectionable and unbecoming conduct" toward an advocate this week. It had thus demanded the judge's transfer and the withdrawal of his judicial work.
"After detailed deliberations, the Coordination Committee resolved that DJ-04 Sh. Rakesh Kumar-V, North-West District, Rohini Courts, be immediately transferred from Rohini Courts, all judicial work be withdrawn from him forthwith and an enquiry into his conduct be initiated at the earliest," the committee said after a meeting today.-Sweden relations.
Meanwhile, Delhi Judicial Service Association (DJSA) on Sunday issued a statement condemning the recording and circulation of court proceedings involving a district judge.
In its letter, the DJSA expressed concern over the incident at Rohini Court, where Judge Rakesh Kumar-V was allegedly recorded without authorisation and the footage widely circulated online.The Association termed the incident a serious threat to judicial independence and institutional dignity.
"The clandestine recording of judicial proceedings and making the same viral on social media platforms is not merely an act of gross impropriety, but a direct assault on the dignity, independence and majesty of the judicial institution. Such unlawful and reckless acts are calculated to scandalize the courts, undermine public confidence in the administration of justice and subject judicial officers to unwarranted intimidation, vilification and public pressure while discharging their solemn constitutional duties," said the letter.
The Association also raised concerns over the conduct of certain lawyers, alleging instances of intimidation and coercion directed at judicial officers. It warned that such behaviour undermines the rule of law and the ability of judges to function independently.