Judges resume work

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">CHANDIGARH: The crisis that had overtaken Punjab and Haryana Hugh Court here on Monday in the wake of en mass leave of all but two of the total 28 judges, blew over finally as all of them resumed work on Tuesday, following the intervention of Supreme Court late Monday night. <br /><br />The courts witnessed regular hearing of the cases listed for the day.<br /><br />The judges had proceeded on en mass casual leave amid reports of show cause notices served to two judges namely Justices Viney Mittal and Virender Singh to explain as to how did they acquire honorary or ex-officio membership of the controversial Forest Hill Country Club and Golf Course established at nearby Nayagaon-Karoran village.<br /><br />The club is the subject of public interest litigation for alleged violations of environment, urban development, forests and land ceiling laws. <br /><br />The reports had also spoken of the judges resistance to these notices but neither report had been denied by the high court. While Justices Viney Mittal, Virender Singh and Ashutosh Mohunta had informed about intention to proceed on leave from Monday last week itself, the remaining 22 judges conveyed the same sometime on Saturday or Sunday thereby bringing the judicial work to a virtual halt on Monday. Justice Surinder Singh Nijjer had been away to London on a long leave for well over a week now. <br /><br />The situation, which almost threatened to develop into a major constitutional crisis, was however defused by the intervention of the Supreme Court reportedly through the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice V N Khare, the CJI - designate Justice Rajendra Babu and Justice Ashok Bhan. <br /><br /><formid=367815><br /></formid=367815></div> </div>