JAMMU, Feb 23: Justice V.K. Jhanji, former Acting Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, passed away on Monday at the age of 82, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association said.
Born in 1944, Justice Jhanji enrolled as an advocate in 1971 and practised civil, constitutional and taxation law at Chandigarh before being elevated as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1991. He was transferred to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on December 3, 2001, where he served twice as Acting Chief Justice — from April 9 to May 14, 2002, and from March 5, 2003 to February 4, 2004.
He was later transferred to the Himachal Pradesh High Court in October 2005 and retired from judicial service in March 2006.
Recalling his tenure, members of the J&K legal fraternity described him as a judge known for integrity, clarity in judgments and commitment to constitutional values, noting his lasting contribution to the administration of justice in the erstwhile state.
According to the Bar Association, Justice Jhanji passed away on February 23, 2026. His cremation will be held at 4:30 pm at the Sector 25 cremation ground in Chandigarh. The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association suspended work after lunch in his honour.
He is survived by his family, including his son Amit Jhanji, senior advocate and senior standing counsel for the Chandigarh Administration. The legal fraternity in Jammu and Kashmir expressed grief and paid tributes to his services to the judiciary.
