Claiming that the number of PILs have come down a year after a judgement on the issue, the Supreme Court on Monday, said that judiciary should not cross the "lakshman rekha" (dividing line) in courts getting into issues like appointment and transfer of bureaucrats and police officers.

"There should be a lakshman rekha for judiciary. It is not the jurisdiction of judiciary to interfere with transfers and postings of police and executive," a Bench headed by justice Markandey Katju observed.

The bench, also comprising justice VS Sirpurkar, was hearing a PIL filed in 2006 challenging the appointment of PC Pandey as DGP of Gujarat.

Justice Katju said the trend of entertaining PILs on such issues and others relating to schools, hospitals and other have come down after a judgement delivered by him on December 6,2007 in which he along with justice AK Mathur (since retired) criticised judges for overstepping into the domain of execultive and legislature.

The NGO - Citizens for Justice and Peace - had in 2006 challenged the appointment of Pandey as DGP alleging that there were several complaints against him relating to the post-Godhra riots.

Pandey was removed as DGP by the Election Commission before the last years Assembly Election.

However, the Bench said "attrocities may have been committed against the Muslims and caused disgrace but it cannot entertain petitions on the transfers and appointments of bureaucrats and police officers".

Source : Central