A Full Court Reference in the High Court . to mourn the sad demise of Justice D.P Sood

Vijyender Sharma

Shimla, 30^th November, 2022.

A Full Court Reference was held today in the High Court of H.P. to mourn the sad demise of Justice D.P Sood, former Judge, High Court of Himachal Pradesh, who breathed his last on 26^th September, 2022, at the age of 90 years.

Justice D.P. Sood was born on 31^st March, 1933 at Shimla. He belongs to village Teehri (Pragpur), District Kangra. His initial schooling was from D.A.V. High School, Shimla and he passed his LL.B from Law College, Jallandhar (Punjab). Justice D.P. Sood's father late Lala Kanshi Ram, was an eminent lawyer. Justice D.P. Sood started initial practice with his father and later on moved to High Court where he practiced in all branches of law. He was selected in Higher Judicial Services and appointed as Additional District and Sessions Judge in 1978. He was elevated as a Judge of High Court of Himachal Pradesh in June, 1990 and retired on 30^th March, 1995. Justice D.P. Sood was also appointed as one-man Commission of inquiry to inquire into the cause of helicopter crash in which Sri Surendera Nath, the then Governer of Punjab lost his life. He was also appointed as one-man Commission of inquiry in the year 2011, to probe the issues relating to benami land transactions in Himachal Pradesh.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Justice Amjad A. Sayed said that Justice Sood was a multi-faceted personality and spent a very simple life. He was soft spoken, polite and very humble in his demeanor. He conducted his Court in a very pleasant manner and everyone felt comfortable and at ease in his Court. The Chief Justice while expressing his condolences said that in passing away of Justice D.P. Sood, we have lost a great soul, a great jurist and a great personality and this loss is not only to the bereaved family members but also to the entire legal fraternity.

            Judges of High Court of H.P. Justice Sabina, Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, Justice Vivek Singh Thakur, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, Justice Sandeep Sharma, Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua, Justice Sushil Kukreja and Justice Virender Singh, were also present on the occasion.

Two minute silence was also observed as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

Sh. Ashok Sharma, Advocate General, Sh. Ajay Kumar Sharma, Chairman, Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh, Sh. Ankush Dass Sood, President, H.P. High Court Bar Association, Sh. Bal Ram Sharma, Deputy Solicitor General, also paid tributes to Justice D.P. Sood. The Registrar General conducted the proceedings. The Members of the High Court Bar Association, Registrars and Officers and Officials of the High Court Registry were also present on the occasion.