Bathinda: The Punjab government transferred 96 judges across various districts on administrative grounds on April 28, 2025. Among those affected was the judge who recently ordered Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to appear in a defamation case.
Key Transfers and Redesignations
Mansa Civil Judge (Senior Division) Rajinder Singh Nagal has been redesignated as Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Mansa, replacing Ravneet Singh, who has been transferred as CJM of SAS Nagar. Shilpa, who served as Civil Judge (Senior Division), CJM, and Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority in Tarn Taran, has been transferred to replace Rajinder Singh Nagpal as Civil Judge (Senior Division) in Mansa.
Judge Who Summoned CM Mann
Before his redesignation, Civil Judge Rajinder Singh Nagpal had been handling a defamation case filed by former MLA Naxar Singh Manshahia. In that case, Nagpal ordered Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, an accused, to appear in court on the next hearing scheduled for May 1. The court directed the accused's counsel to ensure Mann's presence, warning that failure would result in cancellation of his bail and adoption of coercive measures to secure his attendance.
The transfers were executed on April 28, the same day Judge Nagpal issued the order. He relinquished his charge on Thursday, and Shilpa assumed the position. Mansa District Bar Association (DBA) President Gurdas Singh told the Times of India that the large-scale transfers were made purely on administrative grounds.
This development comes amid heightened political sensitivity, as the defamation case against CM Mann continues to draw attention. The transfer of the presiding judge has raised questions about judicial independence, though authorities maintain it was a routine administrative move.
