Justices Asha Menon, Shalini Joshi & Gita Mittal — Ex-Judges Who Will Look Into Manipur Violence Probe

Justice Asha Menon is a former judge of Delhi High Court, whereas Justice Shalini Joshi is a former judge at Bombay High Court and Justice Gita Mittal was the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir HC. 

(left to right) Justices Asha Menon, Shalini Joshi & Gita Mittal

Source : Delhi High Court/Symbiosis Law School, Pune

The Supreme Court on Monday appointed three former judges to constitute a committee to look into the investigation, relief and remedial measures, compensation, and rehabilitation in Manipur which has been in the grip of ethnic violence for the last three months. Notably, the committee consists of all three women former judges — Justice Asha Menon, Shalini Joshi, and Gita Mittal. Justice Asha Menon is a former judge of Delhi High Court, whereas Justice Shalini Joshi is a former judge at Bombay High Court and Justice Gita Mittal was the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court. 

The committee was formed on Monday as the apex court was hearing a clutch of the petitions related to the Manipur violence, including the case pertaining to two tribal women being paraded naked in May.

Justice Asha Menon 

Justice Asha Menon was elevated a permanent judge of the Delhi High Court on May 27, 2019 and retired on September 16, 2019. She cleared her Delhi Judicial Service Exam in 1984-85 and joined the service on November 4, 1986. Presiding over various Courts in all jurisdictions over a period of 14 years, she dealt with land acquisition reference matters, litigation against public utilities among others. 

Born on September 17, 1960 at Kerala’s Pattambi, Justice Menon graduated in Economics (Hons) from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi in 1979 and then LLB from Faculty of Law, University of Delhi in 1982. 

Justice Shalini Shashank Phansalkar-Joshi

Justice Shalini Joshi, a former judge of Bombay High Court is a doctorate in law on the subject of "Child Sexual Abuse from Socio-Legal Perspective." 

She worked in the various cadres as district and sessions judge, as special court for atrocities against women, judge of the family court, Juvenile Justice Board. She has also worked as director of Maharashtra Judicial Academy and as principal judge at City Civil Court, Bombay and conducted thousands of criminal trials and civil cases.

Justice Gita Mittal 

Justice Gita Mittal served as the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court and also acted as judge of Delhi High Court. 

She has also served as a member of the Advisory Board constituted under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange & Prevention of Smuggling Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA).

In February 2008, she was appointed the sole judge in a tribunal constituted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 to investigate a ban on the activities of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). 

Justice Mittal graduated in Economics (hons) from Lady Shriram College for Women, University of Delhi in 1978 and thereafter completed her LLB from Faculty of Law, University of Delhi in 1981.