Former Delhi HC CJ Rajinder Sachar passes away

Former chief justice and activist Rajinder Singh Sachar, who brought to fore the socio-economic and educational conditions of the Muslim community, passed away here today at the age of 94, family sources said.

The Rajinder Sachar Committee was set up by former prime minister Manmohan Singh for preparing a report on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims and was tabled in parliament in 2006.

Sachar was admitted to the Fortis Hospital earlier this week. He passed away at around noon.

"He was a patient of Ischemic heart disease and was put on pacemaker a couple of months back and had undergone stenting for blocked vessels in the heart," a family friend said.

"He was admitted to the hospital earlier this week. He was not able to take food and was having recurrent vomiting. He developed pneumonia and later succumbed to it," he said.

The former chief justice of Delhi High Court will be cremated at the electric crematorium in Lodhi Road here this evening.

Sachar was chief justice of the Delhi HC from August 6, 1985 to December 22, 1985. He was also associated with the rights group People's Union for Civil Liberties.