Chandigarh, Sept. 17 -- A Punjab and Haryana high court division bench has criticised its own former judge, Justice (retd) Alok Singh, for making "unsubstantiated remarks" in the annual confidential report of a judicial officer, which led to latter's compulsory retirement.

"It is difficult to comprehend that an officer who had no adverse remarks in his entire career spanning 30 years, behaved and conducted himself in such a manner, compelling the concerned administrative judge to categorise the petitioner from 'Very Good' in 2009-10, down to 'C' (doubtful integrity)," the bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry recorded while declaring that September 2011 decision of compulsory retirement of the petitioner in public in...