The Allahabad High Court’s transfer of Sambhal CJM Vibhanshu Sudheer, who ordered an FIR against police officials over alleged firing during the 2024 Sambhal violence, has sparked protests, political criticism, and renewed debate on judicial independence.
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LUCKNOW: The repeated transfer of Uttar Pradesh judicial officer Vibhanshu Sudheer, who recently ordered the registration of an FIR against police personnel accused of shooting a youth during the 2024 Sambhal violence, has sparked widespread controversy and criticism.
Sudheer, who was serving as Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Sambhal, has reportedly been transferred three times since May 2025, with opposition parties and members of the legal fraternity alleging that the latest transfer was politically motivated.
On January 9, CJM Sudheer allowed a complaint filed by a man alleging that his son Alam, was shot by police personnel outside the Sambhal Jama Masjid during communal violence that erupted in 2024. Observing that the allegations warranted serious scrutiny, the court held that a criminal investigation was necessary and directed registration of an FIR against the accused police officials.
The Uttar Pradesh Police, however, subsequently announced that it would challenge the order, setting the stage for a legal and administrative tussle.
Sudheer was among 14 judicial officers transferred by the Allahabad High Court on January 20, following which more transfers were ordered on January 22. As per the January 20 order, Sudheer was transferred from Sambhal to Sultanpur as a Civil Judge (Senior Division).
This move drew sharp reactions from opposition political parties, who claimed that the transfer was aimed at punishing a judicial officer for passing an inconvenient order. Lawyers across Uttar Pradesh also staged protests, terming the transfer an attack on judicial independence.
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Sudheer was initially to be replaced by judicial officer Aditya Singh, who had earlier, in 2024, ordered a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal through an advocate commissioner. That survey order had triggered violent clashes in Chandausi, resulting in the death of at least five people.
However, in a subsequent transfer order issued on January 22, the High Court modified the postings and announced that Aditya Singh would continue as Civil Judge (Senior Division) at Chandausi, while Deepak Kumar Jaiswal was appointed as the new Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sambhal.
Background
The violence during the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid had left several injured. Alam, who was later allegedly shot by police during subsequent unrest, is reported to have undergone multiple surgeries and continues to receive medical treatment.
Before his posting in Sambhal, Sudheer served as Chief Judicial Magistrate, Lalitpur from November 2023 to May 2025. He was then transferred to Agra, where he remained posted until September 2025, before being moved to Sambhal, where he served until January 20, 2026.
