Jammu Kashmir High Court likely to get 2 more judges

Well informed sources in the state judiciary told News Agency of Kashmir that the name of Mr. Gupta and Mr Attar has been cleared by the law ministry and the files have been forwarded to President of India Pratibha Patil for final orders.

The president of India, sources claimed, is likely to issue the warrant of appointment in the first week of November.

With the appointment of two more judges, the strength of the state high court will rise to ten. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has total strength of fourteen judges out of which six were lying vacant.

Born in Jammu on January 18, 1950, Vinod Kumar Gupta is presently on deputation with the state government and was serving as Member Jammu and Kashmir Special Tribunal, Jammu.

Mr Gupta did his graduation from Jammu and Kashmir University in 1969 and later completed his LLB degree from Delhi University in 1972.

After joining the state High Court as lawyer in 1972, Mr Gupta passed his Kashmir Civil Services (KCS) examination in 1978 and joined the subordinate judiciary as Munsiff. He later served on important positions including Principal District and Sessions Judge, secretary High Court and Registrar Judicial.

On the other hand name of Muzaffar Attar has been recommended from the Bar quota. He was presently serving as one of the leading lawyers in the Srinagar wing of the state high court.

Mr Attar completed his LLB from Aligarh Muslim University in 1977 and joined the state high court as Pleader. He was one of the two lawyers empanelled by the government to assist the state council in the Supreme Court of India in 1987.

Beside his appointment as Additional Advocate General in 1997, Mr Attar served as special public prosecutor in one of the important case of disproportionate case before the Special Judge (Anticorruption) Srinagar.

He also served as special public prosecutor in Krishan Ganga Hydro-electric project case. (NAK)