Ayodhya verdict: The Justices

Sibghat Ullah Khan

After the elevation of Justice S R Alam as the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court,on December 11,2009,Justice S U Khan was nominated on the special bench of Allahabad High Court,handling the Ayodhya title suits. He sat on the bench for the first time on January 11,2010.

Justice Khan,who graduated in law in 1975 from the Aligarh Muslim University,is known for his expertise in civil,service and revenue matters,according to senior lawyer I B Singh. He is also known to be a tough judge who remains firm in his approach. “He gives a patient hearing and remains updated with the case laws,” a young lawyer Sachindra Upadhyay said.

Justice Khan also did a graduation in science from the AMU in 1971 and after being enrolled as an advocate in the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council in 1975,worked as a lawyer at the Aligarh civil court for two years and then at the Allahabad High court for 25 years.

Born on January 31,1952,Justice Khan was elevated as a permanent Judge of the High Court on December 21,2002. He is due to retire on January 30,2014.

Justice

Sudhir Agarwal

Justice Sudhir Agarwal was nominated as a judge on the special bench of Allahabad High Court handling the Ayodhya title suits on September 18,2008,following the retirement of Justice O P Srivastava.

A law graduate from Meerut University,he is known to be a sharp and strict Judge. “He never misses legal points involved in any case that he hears in his court,” said former additional advocate general of the UP government,P M N Singh.

Justice Agarwal began his career as a lawyer after having enrolled as an advocate on October 5,1980. Initially,he practised tax matters,but soon shifted to service. Exactly 25 years after being enrolled as an advocate,he was elevated as additional judge on October 5,2005. He took oath as permanent judge on August 8,2007.

Before his elevation as additional judge,he was additional advocate general of UP since 2003. As per the information available on the site of the Allahabad High Court,he was appointed as additional advocate general on September 19,2003.

In his 25-year-long career,he has worked as standing counsel for UP Power Corporation,UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam,Allahabad University.

Born on April 24,1958,Justice Agarwal’s retirement is due on April 23,2020. He graduated in science from Agra University in 1977.

Justice

Dharam Veer Sharma

Just six days before his retirement,Justice Dharam Veer Sharma would be on the special bench of Allahabad High Court that would deliver its judgment in the Ayodhya title suits. His retirement is due on October 1,2010. He was nominated as a Judge of the three-member bench on February 12,2007,after the retirement of Justice Bhanwar Singh.

Born on October 2,1948,Justice Sharma,who graduated in law in 1970,was appointed in the Provincial Civil Services (Judicial) in 1972. Subsequently,he was promoted in the Higher Judicial Services in 1985. In 2002,he was promoted as district and sessions judge. Then he was elevated to the post of additional judge in the high court on October 20,2005. He took oath as permanent judge on September 17,2009.

In the meantime,he served the UP Financial Corporation,Kanpur Nagar,as its Chief Law Officer from July 1989 to October 1991. He was Joint secretary and Joint L R,UP government from September 1994 to 1997. He served the UP government as special secretary and additional LR from 1997 to February 2002. Thereafter,he was elevated as secretary (Judicial) and LR. He became principal secretary,Parliamentary Affairs,UP government,in August 2004. Before his elevation as high court Judge,he was principal secretary (Judicial) and LR.