PTI picture shows lawyers lining up at Delhi High Court on Thursday to give an unparalleled farewell to Justice S. Muralidhar, whose transfer was notified at midnight after he had asked Delhi police to take a decision by the next day on filing FIRs against leaders for hate speeches ahead of the Delhi riots.

Justice Muralidhar said he had conveyed to the Chief Justice of India that he was fine with the transfer. But Justice Muralidhar did not appear to have articulated his views on the timing of the notification that brought the transfer into effect.

Lawyer Rebecca John posted on Facebook later: “It was a remarkable farewell to one of Delhi High Court’s finest. In the 33 years that I have been part of this court, I have never seen any farewell like this one. Later, at the more formal Full Court Reference, the Bar spoke in one voice, celebrating his fearless independence and condemning his transfer.”

Ex-judges: Three retired Supreme Court judges — Justice Vikramjit Sen, Justice A.K. Patnaik and Justice Kurian Joseph — on Thursday evening visited the riot-ravaged areas in northeast Delhi to assess the situation.

Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Union home minister Amit Shah has visited the areas till now.

Justice Joseph later told reporters that the situation in the riot-hit areas was “shocking”. He said the situation in the relief camps was worse, with the victims too scared to return home.

Justice Joseph urged the law universities in Delhi to send their students to work as volunteers in the riot-affected areas.