Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Wednesday led the Supreme Court in bidding a ceremonial farewell to Justice Rajesh Bindal, praising his “unparalleled” case disposal rate and his transformative impact on the Indian judiciary through technological innovation.
Justice Bindal, who was elevated to the apex court in February 2023, officially demits office on April 15, 2026. His retirement brings the number of vacancies in the Supreme Court to two, against a sanctioned strength of 34 judges.
Heading the ceremonial bench alongside Justice Bindal and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, CJI Surya Kant reflected on a professional relationship spanning decades. The CJI noted that Justice Bindal’s reputation for hard work preceded him, particularly during his tenure at the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
“Both of us were known for our rate of disposal of cases,” CJI Surya Kant remarked. “I could never compete with him, and there was no question of surpassing his record. He was well known for his very fast disposal.”
Attorney General R. Venkataramani underscored this efficiency with a striking statistic: during a 12-year span at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Bindal handled approximately 80,000 cases—an average of 6,000 cases per year. “It is an immense body of work,” the AG stated.
Beyond his adjudicatory role, the CJI hailed Justice Bindal as a visionary who saw technology as a vehicle for systemic reform. Justice Bindal was the primary architect of MedLEaPR (Medico-Legal Examination and Post-Mortem Reporting System), a software designed to standardize and secure forensic reports.
While the system was initially launched in Punjab, its success led the Union Government to make it mandatory for all states in 2023. It is now integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network Systems (CCTNS) nationwide.
“What his judgments reveal, more than any individual outcome, is a judge who consistently attempts to bring the human element to the forefront of systemic issues,” the CJI added.
In a poignant farewell address, Justice Bindal addressed the immense pressure facing the Indian judiciary, which currently grapples with a pendency of nearly five crore cases. He offered a stern reminder to the legal fraternity about the nature of the office.
“Sometimes people say they have worked hard at the Bar and have come to the Bench to rest. This is not a place to rest,” Justice Bindal said.
He emphasized the importance of patience in the courtroom, noting that the public looks to the judiciary for a fair hearing. “The litigant often just wants to be heard. If you hear patiently, you get the facts; and unless facts are clear, the law cannot be applied.”
Born on April 16, 1961, in Ambala, Justice Bindal earned his law degree from Kurukshetra University and joined the Bar in 1985. His judicial career began with his elevation to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2006.
Before reaching the Supreme Court, he served in diverse jurisdictions, including the High Courts of Jammu and Kashmir and Calcutta. He also served as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. Justice Bindal reflected that this varied experience across four different High Courts was instrumental in his contributions to the apex court, where he authored over 100 judgments in a tenure of just over three years.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta described the outgoing judge as having “the eyes of a good human being yet the demeanour of a very tough judge on the bench,” while Vipin Nair, President of the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association, joined in wishing him a fruitful retirement.
