Role Justice Preceded by M. Patanjali Sastri Died 1967 | Preceded by Ram Chandra Kak Name Mehr Mahajan | |
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Books Looking Back: The Autobiography of Mehr Chand Mahajan, Former Chief Justice of India | ||
Mehr chand mahajan charitable trust
Mehr Chand Mahajan (23 December 1889 in Tika Nagrota, Kangra district – 1967) was the third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India. Prior to that he was the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir during the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh and played a key role in the accession of J&K to India. He was the Indian National Congress nominee on the Radcliff Commission that defined the boundaries of India and Pakistan.
Contents
- Mehr chand mahajan charitable trust
- Mr Fali Nariman remembers Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan
- Early life
- Career as a lawyer
- Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
- Chief Justice Supreme Court of India
- Other positions of note
- References
Justice Mahajan made his name as an accomplished lawyer, a respected judge, and an influential politician. As a judge he was incisive and forthright and had many leading judgments to his credit.
Mr. Fali Nariman remembers Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan
Early life
Mehr Chand Mahajan was born in Tika Nagrota in the Kangra district in 1889. His father, Lala Brij Lal, was an advocate, who later established a reputed legal practice at Dharmsala.
After completing middle school, Mahajan went to study in the Government College, Lahore, graduating in 1910. He enrolled in M.Sc. Chemistry, but switched to law following persuasion from his father. He earned an LL.B. degree in 1912.
Career as a lawyer
Mahajan started his career as a lawyer in 1913 in Dharamsala, where he spent a year practising. He spent the next four years (1914-1918) as a lawyer in Gurdaspur. He then practiced law in Lahore from 1918 to 1943. During his time there, he served as president of the High Court Bar Association of Lahore (1938 to 1943).
Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
Mahajan was Prime Minister of J&K during 1947 and played a role in the accession of the state to India. He was the one who turned down the offer of district Lahore and instead annexed district Gurdaspur to India.
Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India
Mahajan took office as the third Chief Justice of India on 4 January 1954. He was the head of India's judicial system for almost a year, until his retirement on 22 December 1954 (mandatory retirement at age 65). Before becoming Chief Justice he served as one of the first Judges of the Supreme Court of independent India from 4 October 1948 to 3 January 1954.