Chandigarh: HC compulsorily retires Moga judge Manju Rana

As per high court official records, as many as four judicial officers in Punjab are under suspension following inquiries pending against them on the basis of complaints. These are ADSJs Asha Coundal (Amritsar) and Dr Hemant Gopal (Faridkot). Civil Judges (senior division) under suspension are Harsh Mehta (Mansa) and Ravinder Kumar Condal (Amritsar).

In Rana’s case, the high court sent a communication to the Moga District and Sessions Judge Gurpreet Singh Bakshi dated August 11 to immediately withdraw her judicial work. It is learnt that Bakshi has in turn passed an order that all the civil and criminal cases being heard by Rana would now be heard by ADSJ Gurjant Singh. Following the laid down procedure, the high court would now address a communication to the Punjab government to retire the judicial officer prematurely.

According to the rules, the high court reviews previous service record of judicial officers at three stages after they attain the age of 50, 55 and 58 years so as to weed out dead wood for maintaining high standard of efficiency and honesty in judicial service. During this exercise, integrity of the judicial officer, his/her competency and previous annual confidential reports are ascertained.

The SC had in 2011 in judgment in “Rajendra Singh Verma (dead) through LRs and others vs Lieutenant Governor (NCT of Delhi) and others”, had expressed, “Judges are discharging their functions while exercising the sovereign judicial power of the state. Their honesty and integrity is expected to be beyond doubt. It should be reflected in their overall reputation. There is no manner of doubt that the nature of judicial service is such that it cannot afford to suffer continuance in service of persons of doubtful integrity or who have lost their utility.”

In “RC Chandel vs High Court of MP”, SC had observed, “The standard of conduct expected of a judge is much higher than an ordinary man. This is no excuse that since the standards in society have fallen, the judges who are drawn from society cannot be expected to have high standards and ethical firmness required of a judge.”