Justice HS Bedi to head monitoring panel on Gujarat encounters

Ahmedabad, 2 March 2012

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam appointed former Supreme Court Judge HS Bedi as monitoring authority Chairman to look into 22 encounter killings in Gujarat between 2002 and 2006.

The bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam directed Gujarat government to give full facility and assistance to Bedi to make meaningful and effective investigation.

This monitoring panel will submit its interim report within three months.

Gujarat’s government plea seeking extension of time till March 12 to sort out the issue of appointment of Chairman was rejected.

It should be mentioned that Justice Aftab Alam headed bench had earlier disapproved Gujarat govt appointed panel head.

About Justice Bedi

Bedi comes from a family of agriculturists from Sahiwal (formerly known as Montgomery), now in Pakistan. He is a descendant of Guru Nanak, being number 17 in the direct line. After the partition his family was settled in Fazilka, a small township near the India-Pakistan border. His father, Tikka Jagjit Singh Bedi, was also a judge and served on the Punjab and Haryana High Court, retiring in 1969.

Bedi had his schooling from Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, and did his Senior Cambridge in 1962.

Bon September 5, 1946, he was enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana on July 17, 1972 and practiced in Criminal, Writ and other Civil matters.

He was appointed a part time lecturer in Law in 1974 and continued as such till 1983. Was also Editor of Indian Law Reports Punjab and Haryana Services for about a decade. Was appointed Deputy Advocate General (Punjab) in 1983 worked as such till 1987. Made Senior Advocate in 1987. Was appointed Additional Advocate General Punjab till 1989. Was appointed Advocate General Punjab for about a year ending in 1990.

He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court on March 15, 1991 and permanent Judge on July 8, 1992. He was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court on 03.10.2006.

He was appointed as a Judge of Supreme Court of India on 12.01.2007.

He retired on 05.09.2011.

Justice HS Bedi was last year in November appointed as one-man inquiry commission to probe National Conference worker Syed Mohammad Yusuf Shah’s death,