Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has raised serious concerns over the collegium’s decision to transfer a High Court judge after a suggestion from the central government, calling it a worrying sign of executive influence in judicial affairs.

Speaking at the G V Pandit Memorial Lecture, Justice Bhuyan criticised the transfer of Justice Atul Sreedharan from the Madhya Pradesh High Court to the Allahabad High Court, noting that the decision was taken after the Centre sought reconsideration, as reflected in the collegium’s own records.

He said that such government-linked transfers undermine judicial independence and weaken the collegium system, which was created to insulate the judiciary from external interference.

Justice Bhuyan stressed that the transfer and posting of judges must remain an exclusively judicial function, guided only by the administration of justice.

Warning that “the biggest threat to the independence of the judiciary is from within,” he cautioned that even the perception of influence can erode public confidence in the justice system.