Kolkata: Three Bar Associations of the Calcutta High Court jointly submitted a memorandum to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), urging reconsideration and withdrawal of the transfer recommendation of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma of Delhi High Court due to alleged “serious complaints” against him.
The Incorporated Law Society of Calcutta, the Bar Library Club and the High Court Bar Association jointly submitted a memorandum to CJI Sanjiv Khanna on March 29. It flagged “serious complaints” against Justice Sharma which surfaced in October 2024 and were brought to the attention of the CJI’s office.
An anonymous complaint letter, attached with the memorandum, accused Justice Sharma of keeping about 40-45 original side “high-stake” civil matters “part-heard”.
Millennium Post has not verified the authenticity of the complaint letter.
The associations argued that the transfer appears to be linked to these issues rather than routine judicial administration. They stated: “We have reasons to believe that
this transfer is due to certain allegations that came to light touching the propriety and manner of functioning of the Learned Judge.”
The Bar Associations expressed apprehension about accepting a judge with a “questionable image” or one who might serve only a short stint, claiming that it could undermine the court’s reputation. They remarked: “Being the oldest Constitutional Temple of the Country, the High Court at Calcutta conceivably does not deserve to have a transferred Judge with either a questionable image or a short stint… Our High Court has previously experienced short stints of various transferred judges who were though sent for “better administration of justice° but in effect became a dumping ground in the past.”
The associations referenced “past bitter experiences” with transferred judges whose performance allegedly worked “adverse to the interest of the institution.”
Instead of accepting Justice Sharma, the bar associations requested the CJI to transfer back judges originally from the Calcutta High Court who are currently serving in other high courts. This, they claimed, would better serve the institution’s interests. The memorandum copy was also marked to Calcutta High Court Chief Justice, Union Law Minister, and Supreme Court (SC) Collegium members.
On March 27, 2025, the SC Collegium recommended the transfer of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma from the Delhi High Court to the Calcutta High Court. Sharma joined the Delhi Judicial Service in 1992 and was elevated to the Higher Judicial Service in 2003. He was appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court on February 28, 2022.
The opposition to Justice Sharma’s transfer also comes in the backdrop of the recent controversy involving Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma whose transfer to the Allahabad High Court, following allegations of unaccounted cash found at his residence, fuelled debates about transparency and the handling of judicial misconduct.