Chandigarh, March 3
The senior-most judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice S.S Nijjar, has been appointed Chief Justice of the Kolkata High Court. His appointment as Chief Justice has been notified by President APJ Abdul Kalam.
According to sources, Justice Nijjar will take oath on Wednesday. His name had been recommended for appointment as CJ by the Supreme Court collegium sometime back.
A law graduate from the University of London and a Bar at Law from Middle Temple Inn, London, Justice Nijjar practised law in England from 1975 to 1977 and returned to enroll as an advocate of the High Court here in 1977. He was designated as senior advocate in November 1989.
He was elevated as judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as an Additional Judge on April 8, 1996. Later, he was transferred to Bombay High Court and was appointed
permanent judge of the Bombay High Court on April 3, 1998. Since August 7, 2000, he has been functioning as judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
With his posting as CJ, the High Court here will have a new-look collegium, comprising Chief Justice Vijender Kumar Jain, Justice J.S Khehar and Justice Mehtab Singh Gill. Both Justice Khehar and Justice Gill were appointed judge of the HC in 1999.
Sources also disclosed that Delhi HC Judge Justice Swatanter Kumar has also been appointed CJ of the Mumbai High Court. He was earlier a Judge at the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Meanwhile, the transfer orders of two other judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court - Justice Viney Mittal and Justice Virender Singh - to other High Courts are also likely to be issued soon.
While Justice Mittal will go to Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice Virender Singh is being sent to Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
