Justice Saron retires, upholds 10% quota to Jats on last day
CHANDIGARH Justice SS Saron, the second senior-most judge after chief justice, SJ Vazifdar, at the Punjab and Haryana high court retired on Friday. Known for his patient hearing and laying down the law threadbare, justice Saron delivered an important judgment on last day at work — upholding the 10% quota to Jats and five other communities in Haryana, but with a rider that the State Backward Classes Commission decide the extent of reservation.
Justice Saron also served as acting chief justice for a brief period last month. Enrolled as an advocate in 1980, he started legal practice in Sangrur.
He also worked with the Punjab government as a law officer and was appointed as a judge in July 2002. Among the notable cases he judged are the quashing of the appointment of chief parliamentary secretaries of Haryana and Punjab, and that nominated councillors cannot vote in mayoral polls.
He was also presiding over a bench hearing February 2016 Jat quota violence cases. He had ordered that investigation would be monitored by high court. He was also presiding over bench dealing with petition on delay in start of international airport and poor infrastructure at Chandigarh international airport.
HC administration held a farewell function in the evening on Friday in which a number of judges, lawyers and former judges too participated.
Last week, appalled over the poor handling of security arrangements by Haryana for verdict day in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, he ordered the constitution of a full bench and heard petitions on the issue multiple times everyday.