Chief Justice likely to administer oath next week
Strength increases to 13, only 4 vacancies now
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 3: President of India Ram Nath Kovind today appointed two senior most Judicial Officers Mohan Lal Manhas and Mohammad Akram Chowdhary as Judges of the Common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territories. They are likely to be administered oath by the Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal next week.
“In exercise of the power conferred by Clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Mohan Lal and Mohd Akram Chowdhary, to be Judges of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in that order of seniority, with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices”, read a notification issued by Department of Justice, Union Ministry of Law and Justice.
According to the sources, Mohan Lal Manhas and Mohd Akram Chowdhary are likely to be administered oath by the Chief Justice of Common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territories Justice Pankaj Mithal next week on the receipt of Letter of Authorization from the Lieutenant Governor of J&K Union Territory Manoj Sinha.
With the appointment of two more Judges, the strength of J&K and Ladakh High Court has increased to 13 as at present there are 11 Judges including the Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal. The Judges of the High Court, at present, are Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, Justice Tashi Rabstan, Justice Sanjeev Kumar, Justice Sindhu Sharma, Justice Rajnesh Oswal, Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul, Justice Sanjay Dhar, Justice Puneet Gupta and Justice Javed Iqbal Wani.
The J&K and Ladakh High Court has a sanctioned strength of 17 Judges including 13 Permanent Judges and 4 Additional Judges. With the appointment of two more Judges, there are only four vacancies now. The appointment of two more Judges will go a long way in speedy clearance of cases pending in both the wings of the High Court.
Two days back EXCELSIOR had exclusively reported that the Union Ministry of Law has cleared the names of Mohan Lal Manhas, Principal District and Sessions Judge Jammu and Mohammad Akram Chowdhary, Principal District and Sessions Judge Srinagar for appointment as Judges of Common High Court of J&K and Ladakh.
Their names were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana in the month of September this year while as in the month of December last year J&K High Court Collegium headed by the then Chief Justice Gita Mittal had recommended the names of Mohan Lal Manhas and Mohammad Akram Chowdhary.
Born on November 20, 1961 at village Khellani Top in Bhalla tehsil of Bhaderwah, Mohan Lal Manhas did his early schooling from Government High School Malothi and then from Government Ranbir Higher Secondary School Jammu.
He did his graduation from GGM Science College and LLB Professional from Jammu University in the year 1985. He was enrolled as an Advocate with J&K Bar Council in the year 1986 and started practicing at Jammu with Senior Advocate G N Goni. He got selected as Prosecuting Officer in the J&K Police in the year 1988/1989 and served as Prosecuting Officer till he joined as Munsiff JMIC in the year 1995.
He was first posted as District Judicial Mobile Magistrate Doda and was promoted as Sub-Judge in the year 1997 and remained posted as Sub-Judge Auqauf Islamia, Sub-Judge Nowshera, Sub-Judge Kishtwar, Sub-Judge (Municipal Magistrate) Srinagar, CJM Udhampur and got promoted as District and Sessions Judge in the year 2007.
He remained posted as Principal District and Sessions Judge Leh, 2nd Additional District and Sessions Judge Jammu, Registrar Judicial J&K High Court Wing Jammu, Principal District and Sessions Judge Kishtwar, Special Judge Anti-Corruption Srinagar, Judicial Member J&K Special Tribunal Srinagar, Principal District and Sessions Judge Samba, Special Judge Anti-Corruption (CBI cases) Jammu, Principal District and Sessions Judge Udhampur.
Born on June 10, 1965 in village Thuroo of tehsil Mahore of erstwhile District Udhampur (now Reasi), Mohd Akram Chowdhary received early education from Government High School Thuroo and Higher Secondary School Reasi.
He graduated from Government Moulana Azad Memorial College, Jammu and did LLB Degree from University of Jammu in the year 1989. He practiced law almost in all courts including High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He was appointed as Civil Judge Junior Division/Munsiff in the year 1995 and promoted as District and Sessions Judge in the year 2007.
He served in all the three divisions and to mention few was Chief Judicial Magistrate Kargil and Budgam, J&K Eviction Authority (Wakafs); Principal District and Sessions Judge, Bandipora, Ramban,Anantnag, Samba, Kathua and Srinagar; Chairman J&K Sales Tax Tribunal; Member Secretary J&K State Legal Services Authority.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
