Chief Justice of India urges Telangana advocates to end stir

Hyderabad: In his efforts to alleviate the ongoing tension over the bifurcation of the High Court and allotment of judges in lower courts, Chief Justice of India T S Thakur asked advocates from Telangana to withdraw their agitation in courts of the newly formed State.

Thakur made the request when a delegation of Telangana advocates called on him in New Delhi. Members of Telangana High Court Advocates Association, Federation of Bar Associations of Telangana, Telangana Advocates’ Joint Action Committee and other organisations spearheading the agitation submitted a representation listing their demands to the CJI.

“We explained him our demands for withdrawal of provisional list of Judges of AP nativity who were allotted to subordinate courts in Telangana, revoking the suspension of 11 judges and for initiating steps to bifurcate Hyderabad High Court,” Telangana High Court Advocates’ Association President Gandra Mohan Rao said. “The CJI asked us to withdraw the agitation and said he would discuss the matter with the Union Law Minister.

He assured us to initiate steps to fulfil our demands,” he said. However, the agitation would continue and any decision on withdrawing it shall be taken collectively in Hyderabad only after taking everybody into confidence, Rao said.

Acting Chief Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale and Judges of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad had on July 1 appealed to the agitating employees and judicial officials to immediately withdraw the ‘illegal’ strike in public interest.

The HC Registrar General’s office has warned that if the strike is not called off, it may have to consider ‘other options’ to ensure the litigants do not suffer.

However, the protesting advocates have urged the High Court to first look into their demands before they considered ending their stir.

Advocates and judicial employees across Telangana had been protesting since June 6 against allotment of judges from Andhra Pradesh in Telangana’s courts.

Around 200 judges from Telangana are also on a mass leave since June 28. The High Court had earlier suspended 11 judicial officers on disciplinary grounds.

They had taken part in a rally. The advocates are demanding revocation of their suspension. Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, but both States still have a common High Court.