Practice rule for judicial officers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said three years’ “active practice” at the bar is mandatory for judicial officers, reports our legal correspondent.

In its May 9 judgment, a division bench of Chief Justice V.. Khare and Justice S.B. Sinha said the apex court had already “laid down the law to the effect that a candidate must have three years’ practice at the bar” during the recent All-India Judges Association case.

Judicial officers are judges of the lower judiciary and an entrance examination is conducted by the public service commission of each state. Recently, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission rejected the applications of some legal assistants in the state education department.

The Supreme Court said their applications were rejected because they had not practised as lawyers for three years.

Since the Supreme Court laid down the law, most state governments have amended the rules regarding the entrance tests conducted by the respective public service commissions.

he Supreme Court said: “Before a judicial officer is entrusted to decide the fate of the litigants, he must undergo rigorous judicial training.” Referring to the judges’ association case, it said: “As regards the question as to whether the petitioners held the requisite qualifications or not, the (respective public) commission was required to satisfy itself in that behalf on the materials placed on record as to whether the petitions fulfilled the said criteria or not.”

Tourist raped in Jammu

Jammu (PTI): Two women, including a tourist from Bhopal, were allegedly raped in Jammu and Doda districts on Saturday night, official sources said.

Rukhsana, who was returning from Pahalgam with her son, was abducted by three taxi drivers when she reached Jammu. The 40-year-old woman from Bhopal was taken to the nearby Kunjwani forest area and allegedly raped, the sources said.

Rukhsana informed the police when the taxi was stopped at a checkpoint and all the three men — Madan Lal, Randeer Singh and Subash Chander — were arrested.

A 30-year-old housewife, Shakuntala Devi, was allegedly raped by one Kikar Singh in Gandoh in Doda, the sources said. Police have arrested Singh and registered a case.

Close shave for Swamy

Madurai (PTI): Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy had a narrow escape when a bottle hurled by two drunk men from a building landed near him.

The minister was receiving petitions from the public when the incident took place. Swamy was immediately escorted to safety. Police said the duo, suspected to be DMK activists, had not aimed the bottle at Swamy but had thrown it after a quarrel among themselves.

Frontier Mail

Ludhiana (PTI): Three railway employees, a conductor and two travelling ticket examiners, who were on duty in the three coaches of Frontier Mail which caught fire on Thursday killing 38 passengers, have been suspended. Passengers, have alleged that conductor Sudhir Prakash and travelling ticket examiners Ajit Kumar and Jasbir Singh were not in the coaches at the time of the incident.

J&K scribe case

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi High Court has allowed the lawyer of Kashmiri journalist Ghulam Mohideen Bhat, booked under the anti-terror Act for alleged links with the Hizb-ul Mujahideen, to meet him in police custody. Bhat, who runs the Kashmir Press Service, a local news agency, was arrested on May 9.

Madarsa chief

Kendrapara (PTI): Tension gripped the town after three motorcycle-borne men shot at Shaikh Shoukat, president of a local madarsa committee, on Saturday. Shoukat was sitting outside a shop when the men fired three rounds, injuring him critically, superintendent of police Arun Bothra said. Some people chased the assailants and managed to catch hold of one of them, who was identified as Shaikh Ayida, Bothra said.

Samata warrant

Patna: A court in Bhagalpur has issued a non-bailable warrant against Samata Party MP Prabhunath Singh in connection with the murder of Janata Dal legislator Ashok Singh eight years ago, says our correspondent. His wife, Chandni, had named Prabhunath as the main accused in her FIR. The reason, she alleged, was Ashok had defeated the accused in the Masrakh Assembly poll in 1990.

A ninth-century sculpture of a Jain tirthankara has been found near a temple in Ramanathapuram district during excavation. A museum official, involved in the excavation, said the two-feet-tall sculpture was slightly damaged in the cheek and ear.