In a swift administrative action following a highly publicized confrontation between a judge and members of the bar at the Rohini Courts, the High Court of Delhi has ordered the immediate transfer of District Judge-04 (North-West) Rakesh Kumar-V. The judicial officer has been shunted out of active court duty and attached to the Delhi Judicial Academy.
In an official administrative order bearing number No.22/D-3/Gaz.IA/DHC/2026, dated May 17, 2026, the High Court directed immediate postings and transfers within the Delhi Higher Judicial Service. Alongside these restructuring measures, the High Court has laid down strict, mandatory protocols regarding the notification and pronouncement of reserved judgments by the transferring officers to ensure that litigants face no procedural delays.
The Incident: Altercation at Rohini Courts Complex
The administrative action comes in the immediate aftermath of a severe confrontation inside a courtroom at the Rohini Courts Complex. During a scheduled hearing, an intense verbal argument erupted between District Judge Rakesh Kumar-V and the appearing counsel.
According to eyewitnesses, the exchange escalated rapidly into verbal abuse. During the altercation, an advocate reportedly labeled the presiding judge a “druggist” (“नशेड़ी”). The atmosphere inside the courtroom grew highly volatile, threatening to escalate into physical violence before court staff and security personnel intervened to defuse the situation.
Resolution and Condemnation by the Bar Coordination Committee
The incident sparked immediate outrage among the legal fraternity, leading to an emergency meeting of the Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi. On Saturday, the committee issued a strongly-worded joint statement condemning the judge’s actions.
The Coordination Committee’s official statement read:
“The Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi, in an emergency meeting held on Saturday, unanimously and in the strongest terms, condemned the highly objectionable, unbecoming, and unacceptable conduct exhibited by Mr. Rakesh Kumar-V, DJ-04 (North-West District, Rohini Courts) during today’s proceedings towards an advocate who is also the President of the Rohini Court Bar Association.”
Demanding exemplary accountability, the committee unanimously passed a resolution urging the High Court to take immediate disciplinary measures:
“After detailed deliberations, the Coordination Committee unanimously resolved that immediate, strict, and exemplary action be taken against the errant judicial officer at the earliest to send a clear message that any behavior that lowers the dignity, decorum, and prestige of the judicial institution will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
The committee further petitioned the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court to institute corrective and structural measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and to ensure an atmosphere of mutual respect, dignity, fairness, and institutional harmony within the district judiciary.
High Court’s Administrative Order and Transfers
Acting on the administrative side, the High Court of Delhi issued the transfer directives with immediate effect. The order, issued by the authority of the Hon’ble Chief Justice and the Hon’ble Judges of the High Court, outlines the following reallocations:
- Mr. Rakesh Kumar-V:
- From: District Judge-04, North-West, Rohini.
- To: Attached with the Director, Delhi Judicial Academy in a diverted capacity.
- Mr. Dheeraj Mittal:
- From: Additional Director, Delhi Judicial Academy (acting in a diverted capacity).
- To: District Judge-04, North-West, Rohini (allocated to the North-West District, succeeding Mr. Rakesh Kumar-V).
Mandatory Directives on Reserved Judgments
To protect the interests of litigants with pending decisions before the transferring officers, the High Court incorporated strict guidelines in the “Note(s)” section of the order:
- Administrative Control: The transferred judicial officers shall remain under the administrative control of the Principal District & Sessions Judge of the district to which they have been allocated.
- Strict Timeframes for Reserved Judgments: The High Court mandated that the transfer of a judicial officer must not derail already reserved judgments:
“The judicial officer under transfer shall notify the cases in which he had reserved judgments/orders before relinquishing the charge of the court in terms of the posting/transfer order.”
Furthermore, the order sets a strict two-to-three-week limit for pronouncing these decisions:
“The judicial officer shall pronounce judgments/orders in all such matters on the date fixed or maximum within a period of 2-3 weeks thereof, notwithstanding the posting/transfer.”
To maintain complete transparency, the dates of these pronouncements must be widely published:
“Date of pronouncement shall be notified in the cause list of the court to which the matter pertains and on the website of Delhi Judicial Academy and website of the District Courts.”
The order has been forwarded under Endorsement Numbers 2989-3023/D-3/Gaz.IA/DHC/2026 to all relevant institutional heads, including all Principal District & Sessions Judges in Delhi, the Commissioner of Police, the Bar Council of Delhi, and all district court bar associations for immediate compliance.
