A file image of heavy security deployed at Shahi Jama Masjid during Friday prayers, in Sambhal. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
Political parties in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) questioned the transfer of Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Vibhanshu Sudheer, who had directed a First Information Report (FIR) to be lodged against police officers in connection with communal violence in Sambhal in November 2024.
The Congress described the transfer as politically motivated. In a more cautious approach, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav warned that only an independent judiciary can provide guardianship to the Constitution.
Some lawyers in Sambhal also protested Mr. Sudheer’s transfer, alleging that the move undermines judicial independence. Their protest was held near the Chandausi police station and the district collectorate, where advocates raised slogans against the State government and described the transfer as “the killing of justice”. They alleged that a “good judge” was being “demoted” for passing orders against police officials.
On January 9, the CJM had directed an FIR to be filed against former Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary, Kotwali in-charge Anuj Tomar, and 15 to 20 other unidentified police personnel on the basis of allegations that the police had opened fire with the intention of killing a youth.
‘Politically motivated’
“The transfer of Chief Judicial Magistrate, who had ordered the registration of an FIR against the then-CO Anuj Chaudhary in the Sambhal police firing case, is politically motivated rather than a routine process. There are serious question marks due to the timing of the transfer. It sends a broader message which is for people to understand. It is becoming a pattern where the government is putting pressure on the pillars of democracy,” Congress national secretary Shahnawaz Alam.
SP president Mr. Yadav made a cryptic post on X. “Truth does not move, its place is immovable. The violation of the independence of the judiciary is a direct violation of democracy. Only an independent judiciary can provide guardianship of the Constitution,” he said, sharing a video clip about the transfer with his post.
The Allahabad High Court issued an administrative order on January 20, transferring 14 judicial officers, including Mr. Sudheer who has been transferred to Sultanpur as Civil Judge (Senior Division).
Published – January 21, 2026 10:24 pm IST
