New Delhi, Dec. 19 -- A Delhi High Court judge on Thursday said he would recuse himself and transfer to another bench the anticipatory bail and FIR-quashing petitions filed by a 51-year-old advocate, who stands accused of repeatedly raping and assaulting a 27-year-old woman lawyer, on the grounds that hearing the pleas would amount to reviewing his own earlier order.

Justice Amit Mahajan said he had already cancelled the advocate's anticipatory bail on November 7 and that there was no change in circumstances warranting reconsideration. "I have already made up my mind. hearing this would amount to reviewing my own order," the judge told senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, who appeared for the accused.

Pahwa argued that circumstances had changed...