Justice Bindal transferred to Calcutta High Court
Neeraj Rohmetra
Jammu, Dec 15: Supreme Court collegium has approved the proposal for appointment of Justice Pankaj Mithal, first puisne Judge of Allahabad High Court as Chief Justice of common High Court of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory Ladakh.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR, “the collegium comprising Chief Justice of India S A Bobde and two senior most Judges in their meeting yesterday had recommended the proposal for transfer of present Acting Chief Justice of J&K High Court Justice Rajesh Bindal to Calcutta High Court and appointment of Justice Mithal as Chief Justice of J&K High Court”.
Source also confirmed, “Justice Rajesh Bindal after his transfer to Calcutta High Court is likely to join as first puisne Judge”. Presently the Calcutta High Court is headed by Justice Thottathil B. Nair Radhakrishnan, who took over as Chief Justice on April 4, 2019 and is likely to retire on April next year.
Sources elaborated, “most likely this would be the last meeting of the collegium before the Apex Court closes for the winter vacation starting from December 21 till January 1, 2021. Besides appointing Chief Justice for J&K High Court, the collegium also approved transfer of Andhra Pradesh Chief Justice A K Maheshwari to Sikkim High Court”.
The confrontation between Justice Maheshwari and Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Government had snowballed into a major controversy after former issued a gag order in the Amravati land deals case. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister had also met the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to highlight his concerns and had also taken up the matter with Chief Justice of India.
Presently, Justice Pankaj Mithal is first puisne Judge of Allahabad High Court and is heading the Lucknow Bench.
Justice Mithal had been elevated as Additional Judge to High Court in July 7, 2006 and took oath as permanent Judge on July 2, 2008. Prior to this, he had worked as Standing Counsel, U.P Avas Evam Vikas Parishad, Lucknow since 1990 and as Standing Counsel of Dr B R Ambedkar University, Agra.
He was enrolled as an advocate in Bar Council of UP in the year 1985 and subsequently started his practise.
Justice Mithal graduated in Commerce from Allahabad University in 1982 and passed LLB from Meerut College, affiliated to Ch. Charan Singh University in year 1985.
It is pertinent to mention here that only a week back Union Law Ministry had issued a notification appointing Justice Rajesh Bindal as the Acting Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
Being the senior-most Judge of the High Court, he had been asked to perform the duties of the office of Chief Justice with effect from December 9 consequent upon the retirement of the then Chief Justice Gita Mittal.
Justice Bindal, who joined Jammu and Kashmir High Court on November 19, 2018 is presently the
Chairman of the Finance Committee, Building and Infrastructure Committee, Information Technology Committee and State Court Management Systems Committee in the High Court. He is also Chairman of J&K State Legal Service Authority.
Justice Bindal is also the Chairman of the Committee constituted for conducting assessment for optimal use of technology by National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the State Legal Services Authorities including use of Artificial Intelligence. He is also Member of the Committee constituted to go into the existing framework of Lok Adalats and Mediation and to suggest ways for enhancing operational efficiency and methods for better application of these ADR mechanisms for weaker sections of the society.
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