Punjab and Haryana High Court Acting Chief Justice S S Saron may not have expected his last few days in office to be so eventful. One of the judges who took the Centre and Haryana government to task for the failure in maintaining law and order in the state in wake of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction, Saron is set to retire on September 3 after 15 years as a High Court judge.

Acting Chief Justice Saron, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Avneesh Jhingan are currently monitoring the prevalent situation in Punjab and Haryana through a PIL. But, it is not the only important case before the PIL bench of Justice Saron, who is known for his blunt remarks and for calling a spade a spade. Justice Saron, 61, is also hearing the case on last year’s Jat agitation in Haryana. On that too he has not minced words for the state’s failure in preventing the violence. Justice Saron, last month, castigated the Haryana government for its attempts to withdraw the FIRs registered during the Jat agitation.

“We are saying prosecute the people; you are withdrawing the cases,” Justice Saron told the state and termed it an “escapist” action. Earlier, the judge had quashed the appointment of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries in Haryana and his bench has also played an active role on the issues surrounding the Chandigarh airport and its infrastructure. Another important judgment on reservation for Jat community in Haryana is also pending for pronouncement before Justice Saron’s bench and is expected to be made public this week only.

As carried in IE ON 1/9/2017