You could say the confrontation was the last straw. After it flared up and a video of it made the rounds, the district bar associations made their case and the High Court acted. With immediate effect, District Judge-4 (North West) Rakesh Kumar-V has been ordered to report to the Director of the Delhi Judicial Academy, according to a Sunday directive from Registrar General Arun Bhardwaj.
To clarify the immediate steps taken and demanded, here are the key points announced by authorities and bar bodies:
– Transfer orders were issued on Sunday
– Rakesh Kumar-V attached to Delhi Judicial Academy
– Dhiraj Mittal posted to Rohini as District Judge-4
– Strike called for Monday, May 18, 2026
– An enquiry into conduct was sought
To make room, Dhiraj Mittal has been brought over from the Academy to take his place at the Rohini court as District Judge-4 (North West).
Why the transfer was sought
All of this comes after some hard feelings between the bench and the bar. An altercation between the judge and Advocate Rajiv Tehlan, who heads the Rohini Court Bar Association, left the lawyers in no mood to be placated. They put out a resolution and called for a walkout.
Bar leadership’s position
On Sunday, the Coordination Committee of All Delhi District Bar Associations held an emergency session. They said the judge’s handling of a matter on May 16, 2026, had caused ‘deep resentment’ in the district. They didn’t mince words, calling his actions 'highly objectionable and unbecoming,’ and wanted him moved and all his work pulled.
What happened in court
There is a clip of the exchange that has been making its way around social media. In it, you can see Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar in a tiff with the Rohini bar president. The lawyers say he was using language they found abusive.
It seems to have started when the judge wouldn’t grant a passover. “I know you are connected to High Court judges, but I will not back down. I dare you to do something to me,” the judge is heard saying in the recording.
Advocate Vijay Bishnoi, for one, put out a circular telling members to hold off on work to protect the standing of the legal profession. And Advocate Tarun Rana, the coordinator, says they have put the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in the loop, asking for the transfer and some action.
What comes next
So on Monday, May 18, 2026, you won’t find much activity in the district courts. The lawyers are making a point about institutional respect and want a proper look into what went down.
Why it matters
It’s a reminder of the friction that can exist at the district level, where how the bench and bar get on is part and parcel of a litigant’s day. The High Court is trying to de-escalate and keep the wheels turning while any review is done.
What to watch
We’ll be watching to see how the Monday sit-in ripples through the docket in the busier courts. What the High Court does with the call for an enquiry, and if there is any word from either side on the video, will tell us when normal service can be restored.
In the meantime, the orders are in: Dhiraj Mittal is in the Rohini courtroom, and the other is with the Academy.
