India Post released a Postage Stamp on Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan

India Post released a Postage Stamp on Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan, Third Chief Justice of India in New Delhi on Dec 31, 2017.

Mehr Chand Mahajan was the first prime minister of Jammu & Kashmir. Till 30 March 1965, the chief minister’s office was then known as Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Thus Mehr was the first ruler of Kashmir of independent India after partition. He played a key role in the accession of J&K to India. He belonged to Indian National Congress and was nominee on the Radcliff Commission that defined the boundaries of two countries. His tenure of 142 days was during the period 15 October 1947 – 5 March 1948. Apart from a politician, Mahajan was the third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India.

He was born on December 23, 1889 in Kashmir. He started his career as a lawyer in 1913 in Dharmshala, where he practised for one year. Later he worked as a lawyer in Gurdaspur for four years. Till 1943, he practised in Lahore. During the period 1938 to 1943, he served as the president of the High Court Bar Association of Lahore. Soon after Indian independence, he was appointed as the Prime Minister of J&K. During his short tenure as PM, he played a role in the accession of Kashmir to India. He annexed district Gurdaspur to India, turning down Lahore. On 5th March 1948 Sheikh Abdullah preceded him and completed a term of 5 years also.

In 1948, he became one of the first Judges of the Supreme Court of independent India. 6 years later he was promoted to the Chief Justice position. On January 4, 1954 he was appointed as the third Chief Justice of India and remained in that position till his retirement almost one year later. He has also held director posts of many organizations like Punjab National Bank. He was given a Hon. Degree of LL.D. by Punjab University in the 1948. He passed away in 1967.