Telangana lower court judges call off protest, to rejoin duty tomorrow

Hyderabad: The members of Telangana Judges Association (TJA), who had gone on 'mass leave' in protest against suspension of 11 lower court judges by the High Court, on Tuesday called off their protest and decided to rejoin from Wednesday.

Earlier, TJA held an 'extraordinary general body meeting' in Hyderabad.

"It is unanimously resolved...that honouring the appeal of the Chief Justice of India, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor and the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad, the judges who are on leave have decided to join the duty along with 11 suspended judicial officers forthwith on the day the suspension is revoked," the association said.

"It is also unanimously resolved to request the High Court to treat the leave period of the judicial officers (who are on mass leave) which is rejected, as sanctioned and drop all further proceedings," TJA said.

The HC suspended 11 judicial officers on disciplinary grounds following TJA's agitation against the provisional allocation of judicial officers. This led to about 200 judges in lower courts in Telangana going on "mass leave" for 15 days on June 28.

The lower court judges are protesting appointment of the judges who hail from Andhra Pradesh to the courts in Telangana after the creation of the Telangana state.

Meanwhile, president of the Federation of Bar Associations of Telangana G Jithender Reddy told PTI that the agitation will continue.

The Federation would hold a meeting at Warangal after Ramadan to discuss future course of action.

The judicial officers did not inform them about Tuesday's TJA meeting, he said.