SRINAGAR: The Law and Justice Ministry has issued a notification appointing Wasim Sadiq Nargal as an additional judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He is the first Jammu Muslim to be ever appointed to this position.
Nargal has been appointed as an additional judge for two years.
Senior advocate Nargal was recommended by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Collegium in August 2017 and the same was approved by the Supreme Court Collegium in April 2018. In April 2018, the Supreme Court Colligium recommended his name again. However, his appointment order could only be issued in June 2022.
A resident of Katra, Nargal has had his schooling from Dewan Badri Nath Vidya Mandir, Jammu. He graduated from Science College, Jammu and did his LLB from Jammu University. He joined the bar in 1991. During his 31 years of service, he was standing counsel for various departments of the governments in Srinagar and Delhi, Public Sector Undertakings, Banks and Universities.
It is pertinent to mention here that sanctioned strength of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court is 17 of which 13 are Permanent Judges and four are Additional Judges. At present, there are 14 Judges including Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal as recently Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur was shifted to Bombay High Court. With the appointment of Wasim Sadiq Nargal, the strength of Judges in the Common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will increase to 15.
