Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha (12 May 1920 – 20 March 2008) was an Indian judge known for his 1975 ruling in the '' State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raj Narain'' lawsuit, which invalidated the election of Prime Minister

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...

Early life and education

Born on May 12, 1920, Sinha embarked on an educational journey that included Government High School in Aligarh,

Bareilly College Bareilly College, Bareilly (BCB) is an institution located in the metropolis of Bareilly in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The college is affiliated with the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, and has been affiliated with the Ag ...

in Bareilly, and Meerut College in Meerut. He later pursued his legal studies at

Agra University Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University, formerly Agra University, is an Autonomous University located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. The university, formerly named as Agra University, was later named after Bhimrao Ambedkar. Affiliated colleges The U ...

Legal career

From 1943 to 1955, he practiced as a pleader in Bareilly. Subsequently, he served as the District Government Counsel (Criminal) in Bareilly until June 3, 1957. His career path also led him to work as a Civil & Sessions Judge and an Additional District Judge. Notably, he held the position of District & Sessions Judge Joint Secretary in the Law Department of the Uttar Pradesh Government. On January 3, 1970, he was appointed as an Additional Judge of the

Allahabad High Court Allahabad High Court, officially known as High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, is the high court based in the city of Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, that has jurisdiction over the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was established o ...

, and later, on August 25, 1972, he became a Permanent Judge.

1975 verdict

Justice Sinha's most significant moment came in 1975 when he presided over the challenge to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's victory in the 1971 Lok Sabha election. The case focused on allegations of electoral malpractices, including the illegal employment of a government servant, Yashpal Kapoor, for election-related work. Justice Sinha conducted the court proceedings with a strong commitment to justice and judicial independence. His actions, such as not allowing lawyers to stand when the Prime Minister entered the courtroom, demonstrated his dedication to upholding the judiciary's dignity. On June 12, 1975, Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha delivered his historic verdict, convicting Indira Gandhi of electoral malpractices and disqualifying her from holding any elected post under the Representation of People Act.

Impact and legacy

Sinha's judgment has been praised as a judgment of great courage by the Chief Justice of India - Mr. NV Ramana. Other members of the judicial panel were also politically humiliated and ostracized. Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha had been avoiding public appearances and even asked his stenographer to disappear before the result was announced.

References

External links

Profile
at Allahabad High Court *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinha, Jagmohanlal 1920 births 2008 deaths 20th-century Indian judges People from Aligarh People from Bareilly Scholars from Allahabad The Emergency (India) Judges of the Allahabad High Court People from Mathura district Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University alumni