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Siddharth Mridul is an Indian jurist who is a sitting judge at the Delhi High Court. On 5 July 2023, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the appointment of Justice Mridul as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.
Wiki/Biography
Siddharth Mridul was born on Thursday, 22 November 1962 (age 60 years; as of 2022) in Delhi. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
Siddharth Mridul in childhood with his siblings
He did his schooling at Army Public School in Delhi. Siddharth pursued a Bachelor of Arts with History Honours from the Hindu College in 1983. In 1986, he obtained an LLB from Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. He enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi on 24 July 1986.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Hair Colour: Grey
Eye Colour: Black
Family
He belongs to a family of lawyers.
Parents & Siblings
His father, Pushp Raj Mridul (P. R. Mridul), was a Senior Advocate, who died in 1984. His mother, Aruna Mridul, is a homemaker. He has a younger brother Pankaj Mridul Sifar. He also has a younger sister, Sandhya Mridul, who is an actress and model.
Siddharth Mridul’s father and his sister
Siddharth Mridul’s mother, Aruna Mridul
Siddharth Mridul’s younger brother
Siddharth Mridul and his sister Sandhya Mridul
Wife & Children
Siddharth Mridul is married to Madhurima Mridul, a lawyer. Together, they have a daughter.
Career
Siddharth Mridul began practising as an advocate in the High Court of Delhi in 1986. He adeptly handled a diverse range of legal matters, including Writ and Writ Appellate Jurisdictions, Civil Original and Appellate Jurisdictions, Company Jurisdictions, and Criminal Jurisdictions. In addition to his practice in the Delhi High Court, Mridul also gained extensive experience in various other esteemed courts and tribunals. These include The High Court of Judicature at Bombay, The Karnataka High Court at Bangalore, The Rajasthan High Court at Jaipur, the Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal, the Company Law Board, the Appellate Authority for Industrial & Financial Reconstruction, the Debt Recovery Tribunal, and the National and State Consumer Dispute Redress Commissions at Delhi. In 2004, he served as the Standing Counsel for the Union of India.
Siddharth Mridul addressing the aspiring Lawyers
Two years later, he was appointed as the Senior Panel Counsel for the Union of India. In May 2006, Siddharth was designated as a senior advocate. He actively contributed as a member of the Disciplinary Committee, utilizing his expertise in maintaining professional standards. Additionally, he held pivotal roles in the Bar Council of Delhi, serving as the Honorary Secretary from 1994 to 1997 and as the Vice Chairman from 1998 to 2003.
Siddharth Mridul delivering a lecture
Having been appointed by the High Court of Delhi, he served as a Member of several committees tasked with addressing various crucial issues. These committees were specifically assigned to examine matters such as the rehabilitation of children following the abolition of child labour, the handling of illegal construction that violated municipal bye-laws, and his membership in a Committee responsible for proposing, supervising, and implementing measures to ensure the efficient and hygienic functioning of Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. Siddharth was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court on 13 March 2008 and was appointed as a Permanent Judge on 26 May 2009.
Siddharth Mridul outside a National Lok Adalat
On 26th February 2021, Chief Justice DN Patel appointed Siddharth Mridul as a member of the governing council of National Law University, Delhi. The appointment was valid until 29th June 2023. On 5 July 2023, a Supreme Court Collegium comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Sanjiv Khanna recommended the name of Justice Siddharth Mridul as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court. The resolution read,
Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Mr Justice Siddharth Mridul is fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur.”
Previously, on 9 February 2023, the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the centre for the elevation of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court, which was still pending with the Union Government. Accordingly, the Collegium recommended Justice Thakur’s appointment as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which, in turn, requires a new recommendation to be made for the position of Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.
Salary
According to the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC), a judge of a high court is projected to receive a salary of Rs. 2,25,000 in addition to various other allowances.
Facts/Trivia
- A sports enthusiast, Siddharth grew up playing cricket in his school days.
- His family and friends fondly call him Siddhu.
- According to Siddharth’s sister, his favourite pastime in childhood was to break and fix the toy cars that he received as gifts.
- He loves reading books in his leisure time. Growing up he loved reading the Louis L’Amour Series.
- In 1984, Siddharth faced the tragic loss of his father just as he was on the verge of qualifying for the bar. Suddenly burdened with the responsibility of holding the family together, Siddharth stepped up to care for his younger brother and sister.
- Siddharth Mridul was elected as a Member of the Bar Council of Delhi for two terms 1992 to 1998 and 1998 to 2003.