Mehr Chand Mahajan

Mehr Chand Mahajan (23 December 1889 – 11 December 1967) was an Indian jurist and politician who was the third chief justice of the Supreme Court of India. Prior to that he was the prime minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir during the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh and played a key role in the accession of the state to India. He was the Indian National Congress nominee on the Radcliffe Commission that defined the boundaries of India and Pakistan.

Mahajan made his name as a lawyer, a respected judge, and a politician. As a judge, he had many leading judgments to his credit.

Early life Mehr Chand Mahajan was born on 23 December 1889 at Tika Nagrota in the Kangra district of Punjab, British India (now in Himachal Pradesh). His father, Lala Brij Lal, was an advocate, who later established a reputed legal practice at Dharmsala.

After completing middle school, Mahajan went to study in the Government College, Lahore, graduating in 1910. He enrolled in M.Sc. Chemistry, but switched to law following persuasion from his father. He earned an LL.B. degree in 1912.

Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mahajan visited Kashmir on invitation of the Maharani Tara Devi in September 1947 and was asked to be the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir which he accepted. On 15 October 1947, Mahajan was appointed the Prime Minister of Jammu & Kashmir and played a role in the accession of the state to India. Jammu & Kashmir acceded to India in October 1947 and Mahajan thus became the 1st Prime Minister of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, serving in that post until 5 March 1948.

Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India Mahajan took office as the third Chief Justice of India on 4 January 1954. He was the head of India's judicial system for almost a year, until his retirement on 22 December 1954 (mandatory retirement at age 65). Before becoming Chief Justice he served as one of the first Judges of the Supreme Court of independent India from 4 October 1948 to 3 January 1954.

Over the course of his tenure on the Supreme Court, Mahajan authored 132 judgments and was a part of 337 benches.

Other positions of note

Director, Punjab National Bank, 1933–43 Pres. D.A.V. College, Managing Committee, 1938–43 Fellow and Syndic, Punjab University, 1940–47 Judge, Lahore High Court, 1943 All India Fruit Products Association Bombay Session, 1945 Member, R.I.N. Mutiny Commission, 1946 1947 Dewan of Jammu and Kashmir State 1947-48 Judge, East Punjab High Court Punjab Boundary Commission, 1947 Syndic, East Punjab University, 1947–50 Constitutional Adviser to His Highness the Maharaja of Bikaner, 1948 Hon. Degree of LL.D., Punjab University; 1948 Member, Fruit Development Board, Punjab Commission on Belgaum (dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra), 1967