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The elections of the Judicial Service Association (JSA) of Delhi were conducted in pursuance of the notification dated November 2, 2023. The elections were conducted for three posts, i.e., secretary and treasurer, which were announced on December 22, 2023.
Devender Kumar Jangala, Delhi Higher Judicial Services (DHJS) Officer, was elected president with 498 votes. He defeated Ruchi Aggarwal, who got 97 votes. Shefali Barnala Tondon was elected as Secretary with 400 votes. She defeated Himanshu Tanwar with 155 votes, while Ombir Shokeen got just 40 votes. Neha Pandey got 430 votes and was elected as Treasurer by defeating Ruchika Tyagi, who got 166 votes. Earlier, the High Court of Punjab exercised jurisdiction over Delhi through a Circuit Bench that dealt with cases pertaining to the Union Territory of Delhi and the Delhi Administration. Given the importance of Delhi, its population and other considerations, Parliament thought it necessary to establish a new High Court of Delhi. This was achieved by enacting the Delhi High Court Act, 1966, on September 5, 1966. The Judicial Service Association of Delhi came into the picture after the establishment of the Delhi High Court. The Judges Association's main objective is the welfare of the judicial officers. In an extremely significant case initiated by the Judicial Service Association of Delhi Vs the State of Gujarat, the Hon'ble Supreme Court took up a case agitated by the Association, where a Judicial Officer of Gujarat was forced to drink alcohol at a Police Station when he was asked to visit there. He was arrested and was taken to Govt. Hospital for examination in handcuffed state and he was photographed also. The Hon'ble Apex Court had passed comprehensive guidelines regarding the arrest of a Judicial Officer: (a) If a judicial officer is to be arrested for some offence, it should be done under intimation to the District Judge or the High Court as the case may be. (b) If facts and circumstances necessitate the immediate arrest of a judicial officer of the subordinate judiciary, a technical or formal arrest may be effected. (c) The fact of such arrest should be immediately communicated to the District and Sessions Judge of the concerned District and the Chief Justice of the High Court. (d) The Judicial Officer so arrested shall not be taken to a police station, without the prior order or directions of the District & Sessions Judge of the concerned District, if available. (e) Immediate facilities shall be provided to the Judicial Officers for communication with his family members, legal advisors and Judicial Officers, including the District & Sessions Judge. (f) No statement of a Judicial Officer who is under arrest be recorded nor any panchnama be drawn up nor any medical test be conducted except in the presence of the Legal Advisor of the Judicial Officer concerned or another Judicial Officer of equal or higher rank, if available. (g) There should be no handcuffing of a Judicial Officer. If, however, violent resistance to arrest is offered or there is imminent need to effect physical arrest in order to avert danger to life and limb, the person resisting arrest may be overpowered and handcuffed. In such case, immediate report shall be made to the District and Sessions Judge concerned and also to the Chief Justice of the High Court. But the burden would be on the Police to establish the necessity for effecting physical arrest and handcuffing the Judicial Officer and if it be established that the physical arrest and hand-cuffing of the Judicial Officer was unjustified, the Police Officers causing or responsible for such arrest and handcuffing would be guilty of misconduct and would also be personally liable for compensation and/or damages as may be summarily determined by the High Court. The outgoing Executive Committee congratulated the newly elected President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Judicial Service Association of Delhi. (ANI)
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