
Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association declares May 9 a ‘No Work Day'
The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association Thursday declared Friday, May 9, a 'No Work Day' in view of what it described as a 'sensitive situation' and an 'imminent threat posed by separatist forces.'
In a notice issued by honorary secretary Gagandeep Jammu, the Association cited security concerns and the ongoing blackout as reasons behind the decision. 'This decision has been taken in the interest of ensuring the safety and security of all Bar members,' the statement read.
The announcement comes amid heightened alert in the region, with educational institutions ordered shut across Punjab, parts of Haryana, and Chandigarh.
While the High Court is expected to remain formally open, courtrooms are likely to see limited functioning as advocates stay away in solidarity with the Bar's advisory.

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Hindustan Times
21 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Cash controversy: SC should allow filing of FIR against justice Varma, says Dhankhar
Vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday asserted that in the backdrop of the indictment of justice Yashwant Varma by a panel appointed by the Supreme Court in the 'cash' seizure case, the judiciary should have given permission for launching criminal proceedings against him. Dhankhar, during a meeting with the executive committee members of Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association led by president, Sartej Narula at Punjab Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh on Friday morning, also said that the present government at the Centre is 'handicapped' in the given scenario and can't register an FIR due to a Supreme Court judgment, passed three decades ago. 'It (judgment) provides virtually impregnable cover. Unless permission is accorded by a functionary at the highest level in the judiciary, an FIR can't be registered,' Dhankhar remarked. 'The permission (to register FIR) should have been given on the very first day. …A compulsive, expedient situation should have been there because the mechanism evolved is the same. Second, it could have been given at least after the report,' added Dhankhar, who arrived in Chandigarh on Thursday. After spending a day at the Punjab Raj Bhawan, he headed to Himachal Pradesh. Dhankhar emphasised that judges need protection because they make 'tough decisions and cannot be subjected to investigation in a routine way. 'But the facts of this case warranted a proper probe,' he stated. While referring to the panel of three judges set up by the Supreme Court, Dhankhar, questioned the sanctity of the committee and said, whether the report submitted is 'actionable' and whether this committee can substitute for an FIR investigation. Dhankhar equated those indulging in corruption with 'sharks' and said that they must not be spared. He underlined that no other constitutional office has immunity from facing criminal action while in office. The President and the governors have immunity from prosecution only till they are in office, he further remarked. Dhankhar appreciated the role of Bar associations in the country in picking up this issue and said that lawyers are 'watchdogs' of democracy. On May 5, a three-member in-house enquiry committee submitted its report to the then CJI confirming that cash was indeed found at the residence of justice Varma in March, then a sitting Delhi high court judge. Acting on the same, then CJI Sanjiv Khanna initiated the process for the removal of justice Varma by writing to the government. Reports suggest that the government might move an impeachment motion against justice Varma in the Monsoon session.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Justice Varma case: Can't lodge FIR due to judicial order, says Dhankhar
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said the government of the day is handicapped, as it can't register an FIR because there is a judicial order. Dhankhar's made the remarks in connection with the Justice Yashwant Varma episode. A fire broke out at Varma's residence in the national capital in March when he was a judge in the Delhi High Court, leading to the discovery of several burnt sacks of cash from the outhouse. Dhankhar was interacting with a delegation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association here. The four members of the Bar association led by its president Sartej Singh Narula called on the vice-president at the Punjab Raj Bhavan, where Dhankhar arrived on Thursday evening before travelling to Shimla on Friday. Narula later said the matter pertaining to Justice Varma came up during general discussions. According to an official statement issued on Friday evening, the vice-president said, "The government of the day is handicapped. It can't register an FIR because there is a judicial order, which is more than three decades old. "It provides a virtually impregnable cover. Unless permission is accorded by a functionary at the highest level in the judiciary, an FIR can't be registered. "So I pose a question to myself, in deep pain, worried and concerned -- why was that permission not given? That was the minimum that could have been done at the earliest occasion". He added, "I have raised the issue. If a motion is brought to remove a judge, is that the answer? If a crime was committed, a culpable act shaking the foundations of democracy, why wasn't it punished?" "We have lost more than three months, and the investigation has not even been initiated. Whenever you go to court, they ask why the FIR was delayed. "Does the committee of judges have a constitutional sanction? Does it have statutory sanction? Can its report result in any outcome? Can the report, by itself, be actionable? The Constitution says the mechanism to remove a judge can be initiated either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha," Dhankhar added. The vice-president said even the president of India or the governors have immunity from prosecution only till the time they are in office. "No other constitutional office enjoys this immunity, and that too while in office," he said. "I hope an FIR is filed," Dhankhar said. "Let us not destroy the idea of democracy. Let us not dilute our ethical standards. Let us not decimate integrity. A very painful incident happened mid-March in Delhi at the residence of a sitting judge. There was a cash haul, obviously tainted, unaccounted, and illegal," he added. The incident appeared in the public domain after 6-7 days, he said. "Imagine what would have happened had it not appeared (in public domain). We don't know if it was an isolated incident. Whenever such a cash haul is made, the system has to find out whose money was it. What was the money trail? Where did the loose cash come from? Were big sharks involved? Did the money influence judicial work? All these questions bothered lawyers and common people alike," Dhankhar said. "Let the skeletons come out of the closet. Why was there no FIR? Why has there been no probe," Dhankhar asked. The vice-president added that he was happy that the Bar associations are picking up the issue, which will restore people's confidence. "If you remember the famous case -- Sarwan Singh vs State of Punjab, 1957 -- the gap between establishing the truth is sometimes very thin. The distance between 'may be true' and 'must be true' is very thin. But this thin distance has to be negotiated by evidence of unimpeachable veracity. "I am not aware as to who is guilty. But one thing is for sure -- a crime of great enormity took place which shook the foundations of the judiciary and democracy. I hope the matter will be addressed," Dhankhar said. On Wednesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju underlined the government's resolve to take all political parties on board in moving an impeachment motion against Justice Varma, saying corruption in the judiciary cannot be approached through a "political prism". Rijiju told reporters that he has already initiated discussions with all the political parties to bring the motion in Parliament's Monsoon Session starting July 21 against Varma. Although Varma claimed ignorance about the cash discovery, a Supreme Court-appointed committee indicted him after speaking to a number of witnesses and recording his statement. The apex court has since transferred Varma to his parent cadre, the Allahabad High Court, where he has not been assigned any judicial work.


Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Junior teachers demand regularisation of jobs
Bhubaneswar: Thousands of contractual/schematic junior teachers from various govt-run and govt-aided schools sat on a dharna near the state legislative assembly on Friday, demanding the regularisation of their jobs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The junior teachers, under the aegis of the Odisha Junior Teachers (Schematic) Association, first conducted a protest rally from Master Canteen to Lower PMG before sitting on a dharna in front of the assembly. The association's convenor, Shesadev Yajnakam Deo, said the state govt has already abolished the contractual system in govt jobs, yet more than 13,000 junior teachers continue to work on a contractual basis for the first six years of their employment. "We are now called junior teachers (schematic) instead of junior teachers (contractual). But only a word has been changed. We are currently receiving Rs 16,100 per month as remuneration. In case of death during the first six months, our families do not get any benefits from the govt. The first six years of our service will not be counted for career progression because our job becomes regular after six years of service. This system should be abolished," he added. He said that though the BJP-led state govt increased their monthly salary from Rs 11,100 to Rs 16,100, it is yet to abolish the contractual system. "The govt should recruit the schematic teachers as regular teachers from the day of their appointment," Deo added. School and mass education minister Nityananda Gond said the govt is aware of their demand and will take steps at the appropriate time. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He appealed to the teachers to refrain from taking to the streets. "Our govt has hiked the salary of junior teachers. It shows that the govt is concerned about them. We will take steps after reviewing the situation," he added. Gond urged the junior teachers not to worry and said they should continue their work. Deo further said, "The govt is opening Sishu Vatikas in primary schools to teach children before they enrol in Class I. But infrastructure and manpower in the schools is not sufficient for starting the Sishu Vatikas. If the govt does not appoint teachers for the Sishu Vatikas, it will be an extra burden for us. We urge the govt to appoint teachers for this new initiative under the National Education Policy (NEP)."