Anil Mehta appointed as new Senior Standing Counsel for UT- Chandigarh

THE VOICE OF CHANDIGARH – SEEMA PAHWA HANDA

The Administrator, Union Territory of Chandigarh and Punjab Governor, Banwari Lal Purohit, has appointed Anil Mehta, Advocate and presently Additional Standing Counsel as the Senior Standing Counsel, Union Territory – Chandigarh for the High Court of Judicature of Punjab and Haryana. It is to be noted that the post of Senior Standing Counsel in Union Territory is equivalent to the post of Advocate General in a State.

The Administrator had for the purpose of seeking recommendations for the post, appointed a selection committee of four members comprising of Mr Satya Pal Jain, Additional Solicitor General, High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Mr Dharam Pal, IAS , Advisor to the Administrator, Union Territory – Chandigarh, Mr Nitin Yadav IAS, Home Secretary, Chandigarh and Mr Vijay James, Legal Remembrancer, UT- Chandigarh. The said committee interacted with more than 15 candidates for the position and unanimously recommended the name of Mr Anil Mehta to the Administrator for his approval, leading to the notification of Mr Mehta.

Anil Mehta is an alumnus of the Army Institute of Law, Mohali and represents various government organisations such as NHAI, FCI, Central University, Haryana, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar in Punjab & Haryana High Court. Mr Mehta comes from a defence background and is a first-generation lawyer. Earlier in 2014, he was appointed as Deputy Advocate General Haryana, the office which he remitted in 2018 to join Chandigarh Administration as Addl. Standing Counsel.

During his tenure as the Additional Standing Counsel, Union Territory of Chandigarh, Mr Mehta has appeared before the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in various important matters like of Apartmentization, Minority status of schools, Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Elections to name a few.

It may be relevant to note that Mr Pankaj Jain, Senior Advocate and former Senior Standing Counsel had recently been elevated as Additional Judge, High Court of Punjab and Haryana, consequent to which the post of Senior Standing Counsel Union Territory of Chandigarh had fallen vacant.