Meanwhile, Darjeeling District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey has initiated discussions with the two bar associations to resolve the deadlock.

Anand Verma, vice-president, Darjeeling Bar Association, claimed that the Siliguri Bar Association took the resolution to transfer the cases without consulting them. He also accused the Siliguri bar association of trying to cripple the district courts with a motive to shift them from Darjeeling to Siliguri. “We want to an assurance from the state Government that the jurisdiction of Darjeeling court on matrimonial and insurance matters would not be shifted to Siliguri court,” he demanded.

Denying Verma’s accusation, Sahadev Ghosh, president, Siliguri Bar Association, claimed that the resolution to transfer cases was passed because the district judges’ court at Darjeeling was shut down following the bandh called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, demanding a separate state.