Tensions are escalating in Indian politics over the transfer of Sambhal’s Chief Judicial Magistrate Vibhanshu Sudhir, with Congress crying foul on BJP’s judicial overreach. Pawan Khera, the party’s media strategist, held a fiery press conference, painting a picture of systemic manipulation.
‘BJP is hell-bent on controlling the judiciary,’ Khera thundered, advising Yogi Adityanath against transplanting ‘proven failure models’ from elsewhere. Sambhal’s legal fraternity is in revolt, echoing chants of dissent against what they deem a punitive posting.
Context is key: Sudhir’s recent directive for an FIR against Anuj Chaudhary, the then-circle officer, and the local SHO over a fatal shooting in Sambhal’s 2024 unrest. Police planned a High Court appeal, but Sudhir was swiftly moved to Sultanpur as a senior civil judge—a perceived downgrade.
Khera backed his narrative with evidence, screening Bajrangi’s clip to illustrate Gujarat’s alleged judge-juggling for riot convicts. Parallels extended to Justice Murlidhar’s nocturnal exit post-Delhi riots rulings, and Gujarat’s relief for Vanzara and Kodnani via similar means.
This pattern, Khera argued, signals BJP’s thirst for court dominance. A new Sambhal judge was installed but ousted amid lawyer protests. ‘Congress stands with them,’ he vowed.
From every walk of life—students to workers, women to religious heads—the public is weary of BJP rule, Khera claimed. He derided the tactics as ‘Model 1: Swap judges; Model 2: Mota Bhai special transfer.’
In a poignant close, Khera invoked faith: ‘Rulers are the last resort for justice after divine intervention. Bias-tainted verdicts spell doom for democracy.’ The Allahabad High Court’s batch transfer of 14 judges only fuels suspicions of deeper games at play.