Congress Accuses BJP of Undermining Judiciary Over Sambhal CJM Transfer
Opposition urges Supreme Court, Allahabad High Court to intervene after Vibhanshu Sudheer’s abrupt transfer following Sambhal violence FIR.
New Delhi, Jan 24 – The Congress on Saturday strongly criticised the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over the transfer of Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate Vibhanshu Sudheer, who had ordered the registration of an FIR against police personnel involved in the Sambhal violence. Party leaders described the move as a “direct assault on judicial independence” rather than an administrative action.
Congress’s media head Pawan Khera urged the Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court to take suo-motu cognisance of the “arbitrary and troubling” transfer, highlighting its potential impact on the rule of law and institutional autonomy.
Addressing a press conference, Khera said the initial plan to replace Sudheer with the officer who had previously conducted the controversial Jama Masjid survey later reversed following public backlash demonstrates a systematic attempt to manipulate judicial administration for political ends.
“The abrupt transfer of CJM Sudheer is a calculated act of institutional vandalism,” Khera said. “The BJP has perfected a cynical formula: foment communal tension, allow state violence, shield perpetrators, and target institutions that demand accountability. Sambhal is the latest example of this deeply disturbing strategy.”
The Sambhal violence on November 24, 2024, in Kot Garvi, during a court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid, resulted in four deaths and multiple injuries. Sudheer, who transferred to Sambhal from Agra on September 18, 2025, ordered an FIR against police officers, including the then circle officer Anuj Chaudhary. His transfer within four months is being viewed as punitive and politically motivated.
Khera accused the BJP government of undermining the judiciary by using transfers as a tool of intimidation, describing the move as a threat to democratic checks and balances. He emphasised that the issue extends beyond the individual officer, striking at the core of judicial independence and constitutional governance.
The Congress also highlighted earlier protests by lawyers against Sudheer’s transfer, saying the incident exposes the ruling party’s interference in judicial processes and its disregard for accountability following communal violence.
