CJI Thakur asks Telangana advocates to withdraw strike

In the background of lower court judges and advocates in Telangana revolting against the allocation of sub-judicial officers by the high court, on Saturday Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Dilip B Bhosale met Chief Justice of India (CJI)T S Thakur in New Delhi and briefed him about the developments.

“We once again appeal to them to withdraw their “illegal” agitation and start functioning immediately in the larger interests of the litigating public, more particularly in Telangana”.

“Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu called on the HM in New Delhi today”, said a tweet from the Home Ministry’s official twitter handle HMO. Meanwhile Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao called on Governor ESL Narasimhan to discuss the matter.

However, the agitation will continue and any decision on withdrawing it shall be taken collectively at Hyderabad only after taking everybody into confidence, Rao said.

Around 8,000 employees working in various courts and judicial departments across Telangana went on an indefinite strike on July 1 to express solidarity with agitating judges in the state, crippling court work and leaving litigants helpless.

With the protests against the allocation of sub-judicial officers intensifying, the Centre has stepped in and is likely to find an amicable solution to the issue.

Around 200 judges from Telangana, who are on a mass leave in protest against suspension of 11 judicial officers amid ongoing stir over the provisional allocation of judicial officers from Andhra Pradesh to Telangana courts, today did not attend work.

The High Court has suspended 11 judicial officers on disciplinary grounds during the past four days. The advocates are demanding revocation of their suspension.

All the advocates protested the suspensions of employees and the judicial officers 48 judicial employees from Kukatpalli court and 12 from Ibrahimpatnam court have submitted their resignation letters to their district association president.

The High Court registrar general also informed the employees that they may have to consider “other options” to keep the courts functioning in the interest of the public.