Punjab and Haryana High Court rejig: 3 new judges, 2 shifted

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 21

The Punjab and Haryana High Court will get three more judges, including two from Himachal Pradesh High Court, following Supreme Court recommendations on their transfers. Two Punjab and Haryana High Court’s senior judges will, on the other hand, be transferred out. Once the transfers come into force, the HC will have 46 judges against the current strength of 45. The sanctioned strength of the HC, otherwise, is 85.

Two from Himachal

Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Anoop Chitkara have been recommended for transfer from the HP HC to the Punjab and Haryana HC. Justice MSS Ramachandra Rao’s transfer has also been recommended from the Telangana High Court to the HC here.

Available information suggests Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Anoop Chitkara have been recommended for transfer by the Supreme Court collegium from the HP HC to the Punjab and Haryana HC. Justice MSS Ramachandra Rao’s transfer has also been recommended from the Telangana High Court to the HC here. Justice Rao is currently the Acting Chief Justice there.

The Supreme Court collegium has already cleared the name of Justice Rajesh Bindal for elevation as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. Justice Bindal is the senior-most judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and is currently the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.

The Supreme Court collegium has further recommended the transfer of Punjab and Haryana High Court judges, Justice Rajan Gupta to Patna and Justice Jaswant Singh to Orissa. Another recommendation is to transfer of senior judge, Justice Sabina, to HP High Court. She is currently a judge of the Rajasthan High Court after being transferred from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Justice Thakur, to be transferred to Chandigarh, was born on May 18, 1963, at Shimla. His father, Justice (late) Hira Singh Thakur was a judge of the HP High Court, while his mother Nirmala Thakur “is highly educated and is a renowned English poetess”. In 2001, he was selected as an Additional District and Sessions Judge. He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the HP High Court and assumed office on May 5, 2014.

Justice Chitkara was born on April 29, 1966, at Shimla and has been serving as a judge at the HP High Court since May 30, 2019. His grandfather Tek Chand Chitkara was a senior advocate, while his father Madan Gopal Chitkara was former Advocate-General of HP.

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