Amid transfer demands, Guj HC chief justice goes on leave

The Gujarat High Court Advocates' Association (GHAA) on Monday set off a day of dramatic developments, passing a resolution in the afternoon demanding the transfer of chief justice (CJ) Sunita Agarwal over concerns about judicial independence.

- HT Correspondent

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court Advocates' Association (GHAA) on Monday set off a day of dramatic developments, passing a resolution in the afternoon demanding the transfer of chief justice (CJ) Sunita Agarwal over concerns about judicial independence.

Within hours, the central government came out with a late-evening presidential notification announcing that justice Agarwal has proceeded on leave from February 18 to March 2, with the next most senior judge, justice BA Vaishnav, appointed to perform the CJ's duties.

The development took place on the day when an extraordinary general body meeting, called by GHAA president Brijesh Trivedi, lamented some recent events in the high court, including sudden changes in the roster of a few the judges.