Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu, a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, passed away on June 28, 2026, at the age of 59 after a prolonged illness.
The High Court’s third senior-most judge reportedly breathed his last at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram at around 2:50 am on Sunday. His demise marks a significant loss to the judiciary and the legal fraternity, where he was widely respected for his judicial integrity, balanced approach and commitment to constitutional values. He was due to retire in April 2029.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court officially announced his demise, stating that Justice Sindhu had left for his heavenly abode on June 28 and that his last rites would be performed at his native village of Masudpur in Haryana’s Hansi district.
Justice Sindhu was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 10, 2017, after nearly 25 years of legal practice and was confirmed as a permanent judge on December 3, 2018.
During his tenure on the Bench, he authored several significant judgments spanning constitutional law, criminal law, service jurisprudence, anti-corruption law, economic offences, property disputes and administrative law. His decisions consistently emphasised procedural fairness, protection of personal liberty, accountability of public authorities and adherence to the rule of law.
In one notable verdict concerning investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Justice Sindhu directed the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to sensitise its officers and evolve a reasonable framework governing interrogation hours. Observing that interrogations extending up to 15 hours violated human dignity, he remarked that such prolonged questioning could not be justified as an investigative necessity.
He also delivered an important ruling in Balwant Singh vs Directorate of Enforcement, cautioning Special Courts constituted under the PMLA against mechanically granting custodial remand. Setting aside a remand order, he observed that Special Courts must exercise independent judicial discretion and should not function as an extended arm of the investigating agency by routinely approving custody requests without proper scrutiny.
In another significant decision, Justice Sindhu declared the arrest of an accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act illegal after finding that the investigating agency had failed to record reasons for conducting the search and had not supplied the grounds of arrest to the accused. Holding that such lapses violated mandatory statutory safeguards as well as Article 22 of the Constitution, the Court ruled that the arrest could not be sustained in law.
Justice Sindhu was equally known for holding public authorities accountable. He imposed exemplary costs of Rs. 10 lakh on the Haryana Public Service Commission after finding that it had unjustifiably denied reservation benefits to the dependent of a disabled ex-serviceman in recruitment for the post of Sub-Inspector. The Court observed that the Commission had shown complete disregard for the legitimate rights of a soldier’s family.
In another service matter, he imposed costs of Rs 3 lakh on the Haryana Staff Selection Commission for illegally denying appointment to a woman candidate selected for the post of Constable, noting that the arbitrary decision had forced her into unnecessary litigation for nearly six years.
He similarly imposed Rs 1 lakh cost on the Punjab Public Works Department Secretary for illegally denying promotional benefits to an employee and also censured a District Judge for adopting a discriminatory pick-and-choose approach while refusing service benefits to a court employee.
Justice Sindhu reiterated that executive decisions affecting personal liberty must be based on objective material. While allowing parole to a convict under the NDPS Act, he criticised authorities for rejecting the request merely on speculative apprehensions that the prisoner might engage in drug trafficking during election season, holding that parole decisions must rest on legally sustainable grounds rather than assumptions.
Among his notable criminal law rulings was the decision quashing two FIRs registered against former Punjab Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and others in connection with the alleged foodgrain transportation and tender scam. The Court observed that the criminal proceedings appeared to have been initiated to harass the accused and amounted to misuse of investigative powers by the Vigilance Bureau.
Earlier in his judicial career, Justice Sindhu had refused bail to a supporter of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh following large-scale violence that erupted after the latter’s conviction, observing that persons indulging in such acts demonstrated complete disregard for the rule of law and did not deserve judicial leniency.
Born on April 4, 1967, in Masudpur village of Hisar district to an agriculturist family, Justice Sindhu was a first-generation lawyer whose rise to the High Court Bench reflected years of dedication and professional excellence. He completed his schooling in his native village before obtaining his LL.B. degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh, in 1992. He enrolled with the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana in the same year and practised before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, appearing in civil, criminal, constitutional and service law matters.
Over the course of his legal career, he represented several government departments, statutory bodies, municipal authorities and public sector institutions. He was appointed Additional Central Government Standing Counsel in 1999 and later served as Additional Government Pleader for the Union Territory, Chandigarh.
He subsequently held important law officer positions, including Deputy Advocate General for Haryana between 2004 and 2008, Additional Advocate General for Punjab from September 2008 to December 2009, and thereafter Additional Advocate General for Haryana until February 2013, when he resigned to resume private practice before his elevation to the Bench.
Apart from his judicial responsibilities, Justice Sindhu contributed to public administration through his association with several statutory committees, including the State Executive Committee for Persons with Disabilities for the Union Territory, Chandigarh.
Justice Sindhu left behind a distinguished judicial legacy marked by principled adjudication, unwavering commitment to constitutional governance and consistent protection of individual rights. He was remembered across the Bench and the Bar as a judge who combined firmness in applying the law with compassion towards those seeking justice.
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