Chandigarh,
The Judge who ensured rule of justice prevailed in Haryana in the aftermath of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s conviction, did not get what may have been his for sure.

Justice Surinder Singh Saron will retire on September 3 as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He could have been elevated as Chief Justice after Justice Satish Kumar Mittal retired in April last year, but for a delay in the Memorandum of Procedure for the appointment of judges.

The senior-most Judge of a high court is elevated as a Supreme Court Judge; and the Judge next to him in seniority is elevated as Chief Justice of another high court. In the case of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, traditionally the two senior-most Judges are elevated to the Supreme Court. The next two are appointed as chief justice of different high courts. Reason: the Punjab and Haryana High Court serves two states.

The process of appointments and elevations across country was delayed as the Memorandum of Procedure for the appointment of judges was required to be cleared and sent to the Centre. By the time the process was completed, Justice Saron’s retirement was just a few months away.

Indications are that the Supreme Court collegium in June this year selected Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as the new Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, though Justice Saron was senior to him. For this very reason, Justice Mittal’s appointment as Chief Justice was deferred till September; to ensure Justice Saron was not superseded.

Available information suggests Justice Saron’s ability and conduct was described as “unimpeachable”, yet his elevation was put on hold. It was felt that there was no point in elevating Justice Saron to the Chief Justice’s post since he was due for retirement in September, which was just about three months away.

However, another senior Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice S.K. Mittal, under similar conditions was earlier appointed Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, for just over a month.

If Justice Saron ever had any complaint, it never found a reflection in his functioning. His tough stand in the arson and riot cases after Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction may not have been unprecedented. But for a judge about to retire, it was commendable.