The Congress on Saturday accused the BJP-led government of undermining judicial independence following the transfer of Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate Vibhanshu Sudheer, who had ordered the registration of an FIR against police personnel linked to the Sambhal violence. The Congress leader's remarks came after lawyers earlier this week protested against Sudheer's transfer, alleging that the move undermined judicial independence. "The abrupt transfer of the chief judicial magistrate, Sudheer, is not an administrative act, it is a calculated act of institutional vandalism and a direct assault on judicial independence," he said. During the Sambhal violence, the police administration had resorted to indiscriminate and reckless firing, resulting in the deaths of protesters from the Muslim community, he said. "This issue goes far beyond the transfer of an individual judicial officer, it strikes at the core of judicial independence and the constitutional balance between the judiciary and the executive," Khera said.

Source: The Telegraph January 24, 2026 09:55 UTC