The Union of India on Saturday notified the transfer of Justice Manoj Bajaj from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the Allahabad High Court.

The five-member Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, had recommended the transfer of Justice Manoj Bajaj to the Allahabad High Court, rejecting his request to allow him to continue at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. 

While recommending the transfer on Wednesday, the Collegium said that it had sought opinions from the Chief Justices of both the High Court of Punjab & Haryana and the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in terms of the Memorandum of Procedure.

Both the Chief Justices have conveyed their no objection to the proposed transfer of Justice Manoj Bajaj, it added.

Justice Bajaj, however, had requested the Collegium to let him continue functioning at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The High Court judge made a representation to the Collegium regarding the same, which was rejected, it added.

Manoj Bajaj was born in Karnal, Haryana on June 23, 1966. His father R.P. Bajaj served as a District and Sessions Judge and retired on December 31, 1996 from Hisar.

After finishing his LL.B., Justice Bajaj enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council for the States of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh in March, 1992.

He started practising at the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh. He practised at this High Court for more than 25 years and handled a large number of cases related to Civil, Criminal and Constitutional matters.

Justice Bajaj represented the State of Punjab as an Additional Advocate General with effect from July 2009 till elevation to the Bench. 

He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on October 29, 2018.

New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has given a clean chit to actor Kangana Ranaut for her allegedly controversial social media post on the consumption of beef.

Justice Manoj Bajaj dismissed a plea seeking direction to Punjab Police for the registration of a criminal case against the actor for her alleged social media post.

Navneet Gopi, a resident of Ludhiana, filed a petition in the High Court seeking directions to the state to conduct an inquiry on his complaint and to take legal action against Kangana Ranaut.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that Kangana had outraged the religious feelings of a particular section of society by intentionally putting a post on social media to promote beef consumption and it amounted to commission of offence punishable under the penal laws.

The counsel further submitted that the petitioner had given a complaint to the Haibowal station house officer and Ludhiana Commissioner of Police for registration of an FIR, but no action was taken by Ludhiana Police. Moreover, Petitioner was threatened by supporters of the actor.

The petitioner has prayed for registration of an FIR against her under Sections 66 and 67 of the IT Act,  Section 295-A IPC and Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act.

The court observed that her post does not prima facie suggest that it amounts to commission of an offence punishable under Section 295-A of the IPC, in any manner. The court held that the petition did not mention details of persons or organisations behind the threats. “It has not at all been described as to how and in what manner the alleged threat was extended,” the court noted.

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“The court has no hesitation in holding that the petition is vague and misconceived. Therefore, this court is not inclined to exercise the inherent powers under Section 482 CrPC,” the court remarked while dismissing the petition.

-India Legal Bureau