VernellSteward1 at 05:06, 1 August 2025

2025-08-01T05:06:06Z

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{{short description|Retired Judge of Delhi High Court}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mukta Gupta
| office = [[Judge]] of [[Delhi High Court]]
| term_start = 23 October 2009
| term_end = 27 June 2023
| nominator = [[K. G. Balakrishnan]]
| appointer = [[Pratibha Patil]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|6|28|df=y}}
| honorific_prefix = Hon'ble Ms. Justice (Retd.)
| alma_mater = [[University of Delhi]]
}}
'''Mukta Gupta''' (born 28 June 1961) is a former judge of the [[Delhi High Court]] in India, and a former [[public prosecutor]] for the [[Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=CJ And Sitting Judges: Justice Mukta Gupta|url=http://delhihighcourt.nic.in/cjsittingjudges.asp?currentPage=2|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-23|website=Delhi High Court}}</ref> As a public prosecutor, she prosecuted a number of notable cases, including those relating to the [[2001 attack on the Indian Parliament]], and the [[2000 terrorist attack on Red Fort]] in Delhi, as well as the murders of [[Murder of Jessica Lal|Jessica Lal]] and [[Naina Sahni]].<ref name=":0" />

== Education ==
Gupta was educated at the [[Montfort Senior Secondary School]] in [[Delhi]], and obtained a [[Bachelor of Science|B.Sc.]] from [[Hindu College, Delhi]] in 1980. She then studied Law at the [[Faculty of Law, University of Delhi]].<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==
Gupta enrolled with the [[Delhi Bar Council]] in 1984 and practiced law in Delhi before being appointed a public prosecutor.<ref name=":0" />

=== Public Prosecutor ===

As a government counsel, Gupta prosecuted a number of notable criminal cases, including the [[murder of Jessica Lal]], the [[murder of Naina Sahni]],<ref>{{Cite news|title=Tandoor case: Judge recuses from hearing Sushil Kumar Sharma's parole plea|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/tandoor-case-judge-recuses-from-hearing-sushil-kumar-sharmas-parole-plea/articleshow/38093486.cms|access-date=2020-10-23}}</ref> the murder of [[Nitish Katara murder case|Nitish Katara]], the criminal cases relating to the [[2001 attack on the Indian Parliament]], and the [[2000 terrorist attack on Red Fort]] in Delhi.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=2014-05-29 |title=Justice Mukta Gupta made permanent Delhi HC judge |work=Business Standard India |agency=Press Trust of India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/justice-mukta-gupta-made-permanent-delhi-hc-judge-114052901049_1.html |access-date=2020-10-23}}</ref>

Gupta also represented the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] in a number of significant cases, including the murders of [[Priyadarshini Mattoo]] and Madhumita Sharma, and the case concerning the leaking of intelligence from the Indian [[Naval war room leak|Naval War Room]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

=== Judiciary ===
Gupta was appointed an additional judge of the Delhi High Court in 2009 and was appointed a permanent judge in 2014.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|title=Justice Mukta Gupta made permanent Delhi High Court judge|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/justice-mukta-gupta-made-permanent-delhi-high-court-judge/articleshow/35722451.cms|access-date=2020-10-23}}</ref>

As a judge she has adjudicated a number of politically significant cases, including a case against television presenter [[Arnab Goswami]] for defaming Congress leader [[Shashi Tharoor]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-10|title=Delhi High Court questions Arnab Goswami for running parallel investigation in Pushkar death case, asks to show restraint|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/delhi-high-court-questions-arnab-goswami-for-running-parallel-investigation-in-pushkar-death-case-asks-to-show-restraint-885515.html|access-date=2020-10-23|website=Deccan Herald|language=en}}</ref> and in a case concerning the conviction of a Pakistani national for conspiring to commit terrorism in India.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Life term to Pakistan national for 'waging war' against India|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/life-term-to-pakistan-national-for-waging-war-against-india/articleshow/48560388.cms|access-date=2020-10-23}}</ref> In October 2020, Gupta declined to grant relief to the secretary of the Indian Supreme Court Bar Association after he was suspended. The suspension had been instituted after he attempted to interfere with a resolution passed by the Association, criticizing former Supreme Court judge [[Arun Kumar Mishra|Arun Mishra]] for violating judicial protocol and praising the Prime Minister in a public speech.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Supreme Court Bar Association Gets Notice Over Suspended Secretary's Plea|url=https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/delhi-high-court-issues-notice-to-supreme-court-bar-association-over-suspended-secretarys-plea-2257554|access-date=2020-10-23|website=NDTV.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Delhi HC Declines to Stay Suspension of SCBA Secretary Who Dissented Against Criticism of Justice Arun Mishra|url=https://thewire.in/law/justice-arun-mishra-modi-scba-secretary-suspension-delhi-hc|access-date=2020-10-23|website=The Wire}}</ref>

In 2019, Gupta was appointed a special judge in a special court constituted under the [[Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act|Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967]], to examine whether the [[Students Islamic Movement of India]] (SIMI) should be declared as an unlawful association under that act.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-02-22|title=Central Government constitutes Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal : "SIMI" an unlawful association?|url=https://www.scconline.com/blog/post/2019/02/22/central-government-constitutes-unlawful-activities-prevention-tribunal-simi-an-unlawful-association/|access-date=2020-10-23|website=SCC Blog|language=en-US}}</ref>

Gupta has adjudicated in several cases concerning the [[Freedom of expression in India|freedom of speech and expression in India]]. In 2012, Gupta refused to allow a plea for the withdrawing of an Army press release alleging bribery by a retired army officer, noting that Indian law, in her opinion, did not enforce the 'right to reputation' as a fundamental right.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-05-24|title=HC refuses to ask govt to withdraw army press release|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/hc-refuses-to-ask-govt-to-withdraw-army-press-release/story-6WotISmduZRg2L8xxkb42N.html|access-date=2020-10-23|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> In July 2020, she directed [[Google]], [[Facebook]], and [[Twitter]] to remove posts containing allegations of criminal conduct against a civil servant by a woman, while the case concerning these allegations was ongoing.<ref>{{Cite news|title=HC directs Google, FB, Twitter to take down posts, tweets defaming suspended IAS officer|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/hc-directs-google-fb-twitter-to-take-down-posts-tweets-defaming-suspended-ias-officer/articleshow/77053274.cms|access-date=2020-10-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-19|title=Remove posts defaming suspended IAS officer: Delhi HC to Google, FB, Twitter|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/delhi-hc-directs-google-fb-twitter-to-take-down-posts-tweets-defaming-suspended-ias-officer/story-pTtGGAbkWTrDilYiTz6tUJ.html|access-date=2020-10-23|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

In April 2020, Gupta directed the [[All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi]], to provide medical treatment to a woman who had been denied access to health care after disclosing that she had tested as [[HIV-positive]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-10|title=Delhi HC directs AIIMS to treat HIV-positive woman with mouth cancer|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/delhi-hc-directs-aiims-to-treat-hiv-positive-woman-with-mouth-cancer/story-yJ2UIcQnpsFAVElie1v1JI.html|access-date=2020-10-23|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gupta, Mukta}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian prosecutors]]
[[Category:Hindu College, Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women judges]]
[[Category:Judges of the Delhi High Court]]
[[Category:Faculty of Law, University of Delhi alumni]]

Mukta Gupta - Revision history

VernellSteward1 at 05:06, 1 August 2025