Justice Sikri is new Punjab and Haryana HC CJ

New Delhi, September 21

Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri has been appointed as the Chief Justice (CJ) of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. At present, Justice Sikri is the Acting CJ of the Delhi HC.The President has also appointed CJs for the Delhi and Kerala HCs. Justice Darmar Murugesan, at present at Madras HC, has been made the CJ of Delhi HC. Justice Manjula Chellur is the new CJ of Kerala HC. She is now a judge of the Kerala HC.

All the appointments would be effective from the date they assume charge, an official press note said. Born on March 7, 1954, Justice Sikri had an excellent academic record. He stood third on the merit list in Higher Secondary from CBSE, Delhi, and did his B.Com (Hons.) from Shriram College, Delhi University in 1974 and LL.B from the Law Faculty in University of Delhi in 1977. He was awarded gold medal for attaining the first position in LL.B in Delhi University and given a special prize for getting highest marks in Constitutional Law I & II. He had the distinction of securing the first position in all six semesters of LL.B and getting all several prizes and medals of Delhi University for LL.B course.

He did LL.M from Delhi University (DU) and got first position. He won medals and prizes in various extra curricular activities. He was president of Campus Law Centre, Delhi University in 1976-77 and was Member of Academic Council of DU in 1976-77 and various committees of DU. 

Former Cong minister Henry loses citizenship

 

Jalandhar, September 19
The Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division) has ceased the Indian citizenship of senior Congress leader and transporter Avtar Henry.

In a communication to Principal Secretary (Homes) DS Bains, Undersecretary, Union Government, SN Garg has said the Centre, while exercising powers under Sections 9(2) of the Citizenship Act-1955, had ceased Henry’s Indian citizenship from the date he acquired British citizenship and passport in 1969.

Henry, however, is at liberty to acquire Indian citizenship by following the procedures laid down under the law.

In the letter, Garg stated that an inquiry report forwarded by the Additional Director General of Punjab Police specified that the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, was not in possession of any record that could be used to ascertain whether Henry had submitted an application to acquire Indian citizenship or not. Henry had acquired an Indian passport in 1981 and subsequently in 2004. The passport can be issued only to an Indian citizen.

But the records of the Foreigners Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that the division had not granted Indian citizenship to Avtar Henry from 1981 onwards.

The letter sent by Garg to Bains stated that the fact that he had acquired a British passport conclusively proved that he had acquired British citizenship and thereby automatically ceased to be an India citizen under Sections 9(1) of the Citizenship Act-1955 from the date of the acquisition of British citizenship.

Case history

Henry had landed in a trouble following allegations of dual citizenship levelled by his son Gurjit Singh Sanghera. The Union Home Ministry had summoned him to Delhi to clear his stand.

Henry was asked to appear before the ministry on July 10, 2012. Henry had appeared before SM Garg and recorded his statement.

In November 2009, Sanghera had accused his father of possessing two passports. In his complaint, Sanghera had alleged that Avtar Singh ‘Sanghera’ had been to England on an Indian passport, which he had procured from the passport office in Delhi by posing as Lakhbir Singh Sanghera’s son. Lakhbir Singh Sanghera is, in fact, Henry’s elder brother and his father’s name is Joginder Singh.

The complainant had further alleged that Henry had made a false averment in the British passport that his “father”, Lakhbir Singh Sanghera, had died in 1905. Lakhbir Singh had actually died in November 2006.

The complaint further read that Avtar Henry (‘son’ of Lakhbir Singh) took British citizenship on the old passport issued by the Indian Government. He later managed to get a passport from the British government and returned to India in September 1969. He yet again got a passport prepared from the Jalandhar passport officer, showing himself as the son of Joginder Singh (the real father) and born in Pakistan.

The complainant had sought charges under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 494 of the IPC against Henry. The Jalandhar police acted on the complaint, but the files were gathering dust at the SSP’s office.

The case was later reopened by the city police after Sanghera, through his friend Ajay Sehgal, an RTI activist, moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The court had directed the Union Home Ministry, Punjab Chief Secretary and the DGP to complete an ongoing probe into a complaint against Henry in four months.

Son relieved

Gurjit Singh Sanghera has expressed satisfaction at the union government’s decision to cease Henry’s Indian citizenship. Talking to The Tribune, Sanghera claimed that he would move an application before the city police Commissioner seeking his arrest.

Alberta's top court upholds judge ruling to take toddler off life support Read it on Global News: UPDATE: Alberta' s top court upholds judge ruling to take toddler off life support

EDMONTON - Alberta's top court has upheld a judge's ruling that a two-year-old child allegedly abused by her parents should be taken off life support.

The Appeal Court ruled that each parent will be allowed a final 20-minute visit with the girl, if Edmonton police have the resources to accompany them. Another stipulation is that the parents can't make the visit at the same time.

The parents have been charged with aggravated assault, criminal negligence causing bodily harm and failing to provide the necessities of life - charges that could be upgraded if the child dies.

The court dismissed an application that its decision be stayed so as to allow an appeal to the Supreme Court.

A Court of Queen's Bench justice agreed with doctors last week that it is in the girl's best interest to be removed from machines keeping her alive and to be provided with palliative care.

Paramedics found the girl and her twin sister, both malnourished and suffering from injuries, in an Edmonton home May 25.

The girl at the centre of the ruling was in cardiac arrest and is now in a coma. Her sister is recovering. A brother was in home as well, but he was not suffering any injuries and is now in foster care.

The parents, who cannot be named, have been denied bail and are not allowed to have contact with each other.

The Court of Queen’s Bench ruled Friday that the child – being called “M” because she cannot be identified – must be taken off life-support. Medical experts testified the girl had suffered "profound and irreversible brain injury." She can't move on her own and requires the support of a machine to breathe. She has no upper brain function and is not expected to ever recover.