A former judge of AP High Court, Duppala Venkata Ramana said at his farewell function on Tuesday that his transfer to the Madhya Pradesh High Court was issued with “ill intention to harass” him, and that he was “subjected to conspiratorial scrutiny” because of which his family suffered in silence.
The Supreme Court collegium proposed transferring Justice Ramana of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh to the High Court of Madhya Pradesh in August 2023. He requested his transfer proposal be reconsidered and sought a transfer to the High Court of Karnataka instead.
The collegium did not find merit in his request and resolved to reiterate its recommendation to transfer him to the High Court of Madhya Pradesh as a permanent judge. Speaking at the farewell function on his retirement in Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court, he deplored that he was transferred without any reason and that his representation against the transfer was not considered by the Supreme Court Collegium.
The judge revealed that he had asked for a transfer to Karnataka instead, so that he could take care of his wife, who was suffering from a serious neurological disorder.
“I was asked for options. I opted for the State of Karnataka, so that my wife gets better treatment in NIMHANS but it was not considered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. I took over as the judge of the Hon’ble High Court of Madhya Pradesh on 1-11-23. Thereafter, I sent representation to the Hon’ble Supreme Court on 19-7-24, and 28-8-24 on the grounds of medical treatment of my wife, who is suffering from PNES… severe infirmity in the brain due to COVID pandemic”, he said.
He deplored that “But the representation was neither considered nor rejected. During the tenure of the then Chief Justices, I sent another representation that too was neither rejected nor considered. I received no response. The judge like me expects positive humanitarian consideration. I was disheartened and deeply pained”.
Justice Ramana, who retires on June 2, added “Anyway, my transfer order seems to have been issued with ill intention and to harass me. I was transferred from my home state for obvious reasons. I am happy to satisfy their ego. Now they are retired. God does not forgive, nor forgets. They will also suffer in another mode.”
However, Justice Ramana also expressed that he had received immeasurable love and support and cooperation from the judges as well as the members of the Bar at Jabalpur and Indore.
“My transfer was expected to rattle me, but it did not. I did the opposite. I have made long, lasting contributions in each of the two states – State of Andhra Pradesh and State of Madhya Pradesh. I had an opportunity to serve in the land of Amravati, Krishna and Godavari and Narmada. I have truly served justice. I am blessed for these opportunities,” he said.
Justice Ramana was appointed as a judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2022. Before that, he was a judicial officer since 2007. He was transferred to the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2023 on the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium comprising then CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai and Surya Kant.
