KM Joseph, CJ of Uttarakhand HC, transferred to Andhra Pradesh

Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand high court KM Joseph who recently quashed President's Rule in the state has been transferred to the Andhra Pradesh high court as chief justice.

Justice Joseph has been chief justice of the Uttarakhand HC since 31 July, 2014.

His observations during the hearing of the case against President's Rule in the state made headlines, according to the Hindustan Times. Justice Joseph made statements such as: "there is no absolutism, the President is not king", "is the governor an agent of the central government?", "defection is a constitutional sin, you are hitting at the very core of democracy (to the central government)".

After his 99-page judgment that quashed President's Rule in the state, Justice Joseph was attacked by the RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, which alleged his family was close to the Congress.