HC suspends Ludhiana Judicial Magistrate
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has placed under suspension the services of Vibha Rana, Civil Judge (Junior Division), Ludhiana — the latest in a string of measures initiated against 10 judicial officers in the past 10 months.
The suspension, ordered in contemplation of disciplinary proceedings, pertains to a complaint dated April 28, 2023, lodged by certain Delhi residents. Though the specific allegations are not known, the action followed a vigilance inquiry conducted by the high court. Her headquarters, during the suspension period, has been fixed as Moga, and she has been barred from leaving without prior permission from the District and Sessions Judge concerned.
The suspension was ordered by the Chief Justice and Judges of the high court while exercising powers under Article 235 of the Constitution and the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules. Rana’s suspension is not an isolated move, but the latest indicator of the high court’s accelerated institutional drive under Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, who took over on July 9 last year. Since then, 10 officers — four from Punjab and six from Haryana — have come under lens. Among them, four officers, including two each from Punjab and Haryana, have been dismissed from service, while six have been placed under suspension.
The disciplinary decisions have followed full court meetings — key administrative sessions of all judges — dealing with appointments, transfers, promotions and punitive measures in the subordinate judiciary. The accelerated pace with which the in-house mechanism is working overall is significant as such action reflects a conscious institutional effort to address corruption, indiscipline and complacency — issues that have historically undermined the integrity of the justice system.
Over the past two years, the high court has moved against more than two dozen judicial officers, sending out a strong message of internal accountability. “This is not just a disciplinary wave, it’s an institutional message. At a time when the conduct of the judiciary is under increasing public scrutiny, these measures serve not only as deterrents, but as institutional affirmations that the justice delivery system will hold its own officers to the highest standards,” a high court functionary remarked.
