Fayaz Qureshi to head MACT, Abdul Bari is new CJM Budgam
FIRDOUS AHMAD
JAMMU, Nov 14: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has enacted a comprehensive statewide reshuffle of the judiciary, transferring and posting a total of sixty-nine judicial officers in a major administrative overhaul. The orders, issued by Registrar General (Officiating) Mohinder Kumar Sharma, are set to reconfigure the leadership of district courts across the union territory, with significant postings including Mr. Fayaz Ahmed Qureshi as the new Presiding Officer of the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal in Srinagar and Mr. Abdul Bari as the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Budgam.
The restructuring reaches the highest echelons of the district judiciary. Shri Yash Paul Bourney, Principal District and Sessions Judge of Jammu, has been transferred to the J&K Special Tribunal. His position in Jammu will be filled by Shri Ravinder Nath Wattal, who moves from Samba. In a key appointment, Shri Mohinder Kumar Sharma, the former Principal Secretary to the Hon’ble Chief Justice, has been named the new Registrar General of the High Court while concurrently holding the charge of his former post.
The Srinagar district court will see a change in leadership, with Shri Haq Nawaz Zargar, formerly the Special Judge Anti Corruption in Jammu, taking over as the Principal District and Sessions Judge. He is replaced in the Jammu anti-corruption court by Ms. Sonia Gupta, who has been transferred from her role as Director of the J&K Judicial Academy. The order also sees the repatriation of Ms. Jeema Bashir from deputation to become the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Bandipora, and Ms. Kalpana Revo, also repatriated, will assume the role of Principal District and Sessions Judge of Udhampur starting January 1, 2026.
A significant segment of the order concerns the ad-hoc promotion and posting of several civil judges to the district judge rank. This cohort includes Shri Mir Wajahat, posted as Additional District and Sessions Judge in Bandipora; Ms. Fozia Paul, assigned to Ganderbal; and Ms. Mehreen Mushtaq, who takes up the role of Additional Sessions Judge Anti Corruption in Srinagar. Other promotions in this category include Shri Feroz Ahmad Khan as Special Judge UAPA in Baramulla; Shri Imran Hussain Wani as Special Judge NDPS in Anantnag; and Ms. Preet Simran Kour as the 4th Additional District and Sessions Judge in Srinagar. In a notable appointment, Mr. Fayaz Ahmed Qureshi has been posted as the Presiding Officer of the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal in Srinagar. Furthermore, Shri Umesh Sharma’s services have been placed at the disposal of the Hon’ble Chief Justice for his posting as Registrar Computers, and Shri Sheikh Gowher Hussain has been appointed as the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Kargil.
The reshuffle creates a cascading effect through the ranks of Civil Judges (Senior Division). Key transfers include Ms. Tabassum moving from Chief Judicial Magistrate of Ganderbal to Chief Judicial Magistrate of Srinagar, and Shri Munish Kumar Manhas transferring from Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kishtwar to Chief Judicial Magistrate of Jammu. Shri Tsewang Phuntsog, the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Leh, will now head the court in Kargil. In Leh, Ms. Phuntsog Angmo, the Special Mobile Magistrate, has been promoted to Chief Judicial Magistrate. Other postings include Shri Riyaz Ahmad moving from Special Mobile Magistrate in Rajouri to Chief Judicial Magistrate in Shopian, and Ms. Tabassum Qadir Parray transferring from Sub Judge in Bijbehara to Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority in Srinagar.
The order further details a series of corresponding transfers. Shri Sajad Ur Rehman moves from Secretary of the DLSA in Srinagar to Chief Judicial Magistrate of Anantnag. Shri Altaf Hussain Khan is transferred from Sub Judge in Pattan to Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kulgam. Shri Deputy Kumar moves from Sub Judge in Nowshera to Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kishtwar. Ms. Nusrat Ali Hakak has been transferred from Secretary of the DLSA in Budgam to Chief Judicial Magistrate of Ganderbal. Shri Sunil Kumar’s services have been placed at the disposal of the Hon’ble Chief Justice for posting as Secretary of the High Court Legal Services Committee. Ms. Smriti Sharma, formerly Secretary of the DLSA in Jammu, is now the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Samba, and Ms. Sumati Sharma moves from Special Mobile Magistrate in Jammu to Secretary of the DLSA in Udhampur.
Additional transfers in this cadre include Shri Rajeev Kumar Tadyal, who is transferred from Railway Magistrate in Jammu to Sub Judge in Bijbehara. Shri Touseef Ahmad Magrey is moved from Special Mobile Magistrate in Srinagar to Joint Registrar Inspection in Srinagar. Shri Jeewan Kumar is transferred from Secretary of the High Court Legal Services Committee to Sub Judge in Jammu. Shri Iqbal Rafiq Vakil moves from Sub Judge in Chadoora to Chief Judicial Magistrate in Sopore, and his former post will be filled by Shri Shafeeq Ahmad Malik, who is transferred from Sub Judge in Valloo. Shri Wangjal Tsering, the former Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kargil, is now the Special Mobile Magistrate in Leh. In a prominent posting, Mr. Abdul Bari has been transferred from his role as City Judge in Srinagar to become the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Budgam. Shri Faizan I Nazar has been moved from Special Mobile Magistrate in Srinagar to Sub Judge in LRP, Srinagar.
The reshuffle also incorporates a group of Civil Judges (Junior Division) upon their ad-hoc promotion to the Senior Division. Their new postings are: Ms. Maleeka Sharma as Secretary of the DLSA in Jammu; Ms. Ananta Raina as Special Mobile Magistrate in Rajouri; Shri Shabir Ahmad Malik as Special Mobile Magistrate in Srinagar; Shri Altaf Ahmad Mir as Sub Judge in Valloo; and Ms. Meera Bangotra as Secretary of the DLSA in Kishtwar. Further postings for this group include Ms. Asma Chowdhary as Secretary of the DLSA in Samba; Ms. Urvashi Raina as Secretary of the DLSA in Kathua; Shri Anjeet Singh as Sub Judge in Pattan; Ms. Suhashni Vasisatha as Sub Judge in Nowshera; and Shri Tarun Mahajan as City Judge in Srinagar.
The High Court has issued strict directives for a seamless transition, ordering all transferring officers to ensure all part-heard cases and pending judgments are completed before their move. This sweeping administrative measure is anticipated to optimize judicial resources and enhance the efficiency of the legal system across Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
