"Humiliation Due To Demotion": Supreme Court To Hear Gujarat Judicial Officers

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear in July a plea of several Gujarat judicial officers whose promotions were stayed by it.

A bench headed by Justice MR Shah, now retired, on May 12 had stayed the promotion of 68 Gujarat lower judicial officers, including Surat Chief Judicial Magistrate Harish Hasmukhbhai Varma who had convicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala took note of the submissions of senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for the judicial officers, that they have been reverted back to their original lower cadre by the Gujarat High Court in pursuance of the top court's decision of May 12.

Several judicial officers are suffering "humiliation" due to the demotion and moreover, six states in the country follow the principle of seniority-cum-merit for promotion, said the senior lawyer.

"We will list it after the summer vacation in July," the Chief Justice of India said, adding they have been reverted back on account of a decision of a coordinate bench of the top court.

The top court had earlier said that the promotion of the judicial officers was in violation of the Gujarat State Judicial Service Rules 2005, amended in 2011, which states that promotions must be made on principle of merit-cum-seniority and on passing a suitability test.
 

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