In an unusual move apparently aimed at cleansing the subordinate Judiciary, the High Court of Punjab & Haryana has begun proceedings against its judicial officers.

Its Full Court, comprising the Chief Justice & the other Judges, has compulsorily retired 2 Additional District & Sessions Judges.

In all, action has been taken or proceedings began against sixteen officers, including the Judge who conducted trial in the gang-rape & murder case of an 8-year-old from Kathua.

Two judicial officers on probation have been discharged. The services of 2 Sub-Judges have also been placed under suspension. Besides this, the functioning of 2 district & sessions judges has come under the High Court scanner with the ordering of regular inquiries against them.

This is the first time in recallable past that the HC has taken action at such a large scale against its judicial officers, sending across a strong message of zero tolerance against indiscipline, complacency & other factors in the subordinate Judiciary.

The Full Court meeting, first since the High Court went into restrictive functioning mode in March due to Coronavirus outbreak, is believed to have been held on Dec 14 under Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha.

Available information suggests the officers compulsorily retired are Additional District & Sessions Judge Ved Pal Gupta & Rajinder Goel. The Punjab-cadre officers discharged during probation are Abhinav Sekhon & Nazmeen Singh.

The sub-Judges whose services have been placed under suspension are Tanvir Singh & Pradeep Singhal. The Sessions Judges against whom regular inquiry has been ordered are Haryana-cadre judicial officer RK Sondhi & Punjab-cadre officer Tejwinder Singh. A preliminary inquiry is believed to have been earlier ordered by the HC against Kathua case Judge Tejwinder Singh. 

Clean-up by Punjab & Haryana High Court

  • Addl Dist & Sessions Judges VP Gupta & Rajinder Goel forced retired
  • Probationers Abhinav Sekhon, Nazmeen Singh discharged
  • Sub-Judges Tanvir Singh & Pradeep Singhal suspended
  • Action/proceedings initiated against 16 judicial officers in all 

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