NCLAT officiating Chairperson Justice Bansi Lal Bhat gets 3 month extension

The Central Government on July 6 has extended the term of office of Justice Bansi Lal Bhat who is officiating as the Chairperson of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), an official order said.

The extension is from 15 June 2020 for three months or till further orders. Justice Bhat is also holding the post of Member (Judicial) at the appellate tribunal. He was appointed in March 2020 as the acting Chairperson for three months after the then chairperson Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya completed his term.

The Delhi Court had recently issued notice to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Registrar of the NCLAT after a petition was filed challenging his appointment to the said post as the Central Government had not appointed the senior most member of the NCLAT as its Chairperson.

As per the NCLAT website, he obtained his Law Degree from University of Kashmir in 1974. He was enrolled as pleader with Bar Association Srinagar in January 1975. He has served as Principal District and Sessions Judge in both capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar besides at Poonch, Reasi and Kathua. He has also served as Presiding Officer of Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, Jammu for a year and also served for two tenures as Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu and was appointed as Special Judge of the newly created Anti-Corruption Court for trial of CBI cases in  August 2011 where he served till his elevation.

He contributed to development of law by delivering many landmark judgments and settled thousands of disputes as Presiding Officer of the Permanent Lok Adalat. He was appointed as Additional Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in March 2013 and appointed as permanent Judge in September 2014. During his tenure, he delivered several reportable judgments.

He was appointed as the President of J&K State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (JKSCDRC) in December, 2016. But had to resign after 19 days as he was appointed as Judicial Member in the newly set up Armed Forces Tribunal, Regional Bench Srinagar at Jammu.

He assumed charge as Judicial Member, Armed Forces Tribunal in January 2017 and presided over Benches at Chandigarh, Shimla, Jaipur and Delhi besides that of Jammu. He resigned from the position after being appointed as Judicial Member of the NCLAT, New Delhi in October 2017.