Judge hearing riots cases & critical of probes transferred

New Delhi: Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav has now been transferred out of the Karkardooma court complex, where he heard key cases related to the north-east Delhi riots and was critical of the Delhi Police's probe in many of these cases, to New Delhi district's Rouse Avenue court complex as a Special Judge (PC Act) (CBI). Judge Virender Bhatt, whom Judge Yadav is replacing, will now be the ASJ in Karkardooma.

Judge Yadav, while hearing the cases related to the north-east Delhi riots last year, has been sharply critical of the police investigation in multiple cases, calling their probes "callous and farcical" and once observing that their failure to conduct a proper investigation would "torment the sentinels of democracy".

The public notice issued by the Delhi High Court listing the names of the judges who have been transferred said: Hon'ble the Chief Justice and Hon'ble Judges of this Court have been pleased to make the following postings/transfers in the Delhi Higher Judicial Service with immediate effect.

The judicial officers under transfer have been directed to notify the cases in which they have reserved judgements or orders before relinquishing the charge, the public notice undersigned by Registrar General Manoj Jain said.

ASJ Yadav, a day before his transfer, came down heavily on Delhi police saying Police witnesses are lying on oath and giving contradictory statements.

The judge has been disapproving of the investigation conducted by the Delhi Police in some of the riots cases and has pulled them up at times for a callous and farcical probe and even imposed a cost on them for it, which was later challenged in the high court. In the last few months, he has repeatedly sought the intervention of Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana to monitor the probe and take action against the erring police officers.