By Shafee Ahmed Ko, TwoCircles.net,
Chennai: The senior-most judge of Jharkhand High Court, Justice M Y Eqbal will arrive as new Chief Justice of Madras High Court soon. The Supreme Court collegium has decided to recommend Justice Eqbal as the new Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. He will succeed Justice H.L. Gokhale. Justice Gokhale and Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Gyan Sudha Misra have been recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court.
The recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan (as head) and Justices S.H. Kapadia, Altamas Kabir, R.V. Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari (as members), has been accepted by President Pratibha Patil.
Justice M Y Eqbal was born on 13 February 1951. He pursued law after a degree in B.Sc. He came out in flying colours in law with a gold medal. He enrolled as member in Bar Council in Ranchi in the year 1975. He became a renowned advocate in both civil and criminal suits in Ranchi Bench of Patna High Court. He also practiced as legal expert in Ranchi bench. He has served as government pleader in Ranchi bench in 1990. In 1993 he became Government Advocate in the Patna High Court. He has also served the prestigious position as Patna High Court judge. He has also worked as Counsel and Legal Adviser of almost all the Banks, Insurance Company, Electricity Board, Housing Board, University and other Government and semi Government Undertakings. He was appointed as permanent Judge of the Patna High Court on 9th May 1996. By Notification dated 14th November 2000 he became the Judge of the Jharkhand High Court.
It is reported that, there are 265 vacancies of the High Court judges in the country as there are a total of 630 judges in the various High Courts at present against the sanctioned strength of 895 judges. Union Law Minister M Veerapa Moily has indicated that the government is working out a strategy to fill all the vacancies in the higher judiciary within the next six months.