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{{Short description|Indian Judge and Lokayukta}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Reva Khetrapal
| office = [[Lokayukta]] of [[Delhi]]
| term_start = 18 December 2015
| nominator = [[Delhi High Court]]
| appointer = [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|09|23|df=y}}
| alma_mater = [[University of Delhi]]
| honorific_prefix = Hon'ble Ms. Justice
| office2 = [[Judge]] of the [[Delhi High Court]]
| appointer2 = [[A.P.J. Abdul Kalam]]
| nominator2 = [[K.G. Balakrishnan]]
| term_end2 = 22 September 2014
| term_start2 = 28 February 2006
}}
'''Reva Khetrapal''' (born 23 September 1952) is the current [[Lokayukta]] ([[ombudsman]]) for the [[National capital territory of Delhi|National Capital Territory of Delhi]], [[India]], and a former judge of the [[Delhi High Court]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Ex-High Court Judge Reva Khetrapal Takes Oath As Delhi's Lokayukta|url=https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/ex-high-court-judge-reva-khetrapal-takes-oath-as-delhis-lokayukta-1256243|access-date=2020-11-15|website=NDTV.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Former Judges: Justice Reva Khetrapal|url=http://delhihighcourt.nic.in/formerjudges.asp?currentPage=4|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=[[Delhi High Court]]}}</ref>

== Life ==
Khetrapal was born in [[Shimla]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], and was educated in [[Delhi]]. She earned a B.A. in history from [[Miranda House]], and an LL.B. from the [[Faculty of Law, University of Delhi|University of Delhi's Faculty of Law]].<ref name=":1" />

== Career ==
Khetrapal enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1975, and practiced law until 1991. In addition to private clients, she represented the Delhi Government as a counsel. She was appointed to the judiciary in 1991, becoming an Additional District and Sessions Judge in Delhi.<ref name="Reva Ref1" /> In 1994, she was appointed as a Special Judge dealing with cases prosecuted under the [[Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985|Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act]].<ref name="Reva Ref1" /> In 1994, she served as secretary to the [[Press Council of India]].<ref name=":1" />

=== Delhi High Court ===
Khetrapal was appointed to the [[Delhi High Court]] as an additional judge on 28 February 2006, and was later made a permanent judge. She retired from the court on 22 September 2014.<ref name=":1" />

During her career as a High Court judge, Khetrapal adjudicated in a number of significant cases. In 2008, she ruled that an Indian film, ''[[Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors]],'' did not infringe on the copyright of the [[Harry Potter]] [[Harry Potter (film series)|film franchise]], holding that the differences between the two were evident.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Chamberlain|first=Gethin|date=2008-09-27|title=Hari Puttar fails to conjure Harry Potter magic|language=en-GB|work=The Observer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/sep/28/india.hari.puttar|access-date=2020-11-15|issn=0029-7712}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hari Puttar: The boy who won - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Hari-Puttar-The-boy-who-won/articleshow/3513257.cms|access-date=2020-11-15|website=The Times of India|date=23 September 2008 |language=en}}</ref> Along with Judge M. K. Sharma, she also dismissed a plea by the Government of India to prevent the removal of illegal constructions in and around Ministers' residences, ordering them to be demolished.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-01-16|title=Demolish illegal constructions in Arjun Singh's house: HC|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-demolish-illegal-constructions-in-arjun-singh-s-house-hc-1145534|access-date=2020-11-15|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref> In 2010, she became one of several judges from the High Courts in Delhi, [[Kerala]], and [[Madras]] to voluntarily disclose details of their assets on the website of the Delhi High Court, in a bid to improve transparency and fight corruption.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Delhi High Court Makes Public Assets of Its Judges|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/delhi-high-court-makes-public-assets-of-its-judges/674137|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-15|website=Outlook India}}</ref> In 2012, Khetrapal adjudicated in a case concerning an extended strike by pilots of [[Air India]], India's flagship airline, urging both parties to arrive at an amicable resolution.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Correspondent|first=dna|date=2012-07-03|title=AI strike: Court says solve the dispute amicably|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-ai-strike-court-says-solve-the-dispute-amicably-1709769|access-date=2020-11-15|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref> The strike was eventually declared illegal, and the pilots ordered to return to work.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=Reuters|date=2012-07-04|title=Air India Pilots End Strike Over Plane Assignments (Published 2012)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/business/global/air-india-pilots-end-strike.html|access-date=2020-11-15|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2012-07-03|title=Air India pilots 'to end strike'|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-18684802|access-date=2020-11-15}}</ref>

In 2009, she granted bail to BJP politician [[Varun Gandhi]] in a case filed against him for making provocative speeches concerning religion, while the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] disassociated themselves with him.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2009-03-21|title=Varun gets bail from Delhi High Court|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/varun-gets-bail-from-delhi-high-court/437141/|access-date=2020-11-15|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2016, along with Judge [[Pratibha Rani]], she upheld the sentence of the death penalty to the four adult convicts in the [[2012 Delhi gang rape and murder|2012 Delhi gangrape and murder]] case.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Delhi High Court upholds death penalty of three youths for rape, murder of girl|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/delhi-high-court-upholds-death-penalty-of-three-youths-for-rape-murder-of-girl/articleshow/40917841.cms#:~:text=NEW%20DELHI:%20The%20Delhi%20High,who%20defiled%20the%20victim%27s%20body.|access-date=2020-11-15}}</ref> Their order was affirmed by the Indian Supreme Court, and the convicts were executed in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-05-05|title=India court upholds 2012 Delhi gang rapists' death penalty|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39814910|access-date=2020-11-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-03-20|title=Nirbhaya case: Four Indian men executed for 2012 Delhi bus rape and murder|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-51969961|access-date=2020-11-15}}</ref>

While a High Court judge, Khetrapal was instrumental in establishing a scheme to provide financial aid for children whose parents are incarcerated. She also served as the Chairperson of the Delhi International Arbitration Center.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Five things you should know about Delhi's new Lokayukta|url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2015/12/17/five-things-you-should-know-about-delhis-new-lokayukta|access-date=2020-11-15|website=Newslaundry|date=17 December 2015 }}</ref>

=== Lokayukta ===
On 18 December 2015, Khetrapal was appointed as the Lokayukta ([[ombudsman]]) of Delhi,<ref name="Reva Ref1">{{cite news |title=Reva Khetrapal takes oath as Delhi's Lokayukta |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/reva-khetrapal-takes-oath-as-delhis-lokayukta/articleshow/50223808.cms?from=mdr |access-date=29 August 2021 |publisher=The Economic Times |date=17 December 2015}}</ref> after being nominated for the position by a panel of judges from the [[Delhi High Court]], and then appointed by the [[President of India]], [[Pranab Mukherjee]]. Her term of office is for five years.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-21|title=Delhi's new Lokayukta: Justice Reva Khetrapal who upheld death for Dec 16 convicts|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/justice-reva-khetrapal-to-be-delhis-new-lokayukta/|access-date=2020-11-15|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

In 2019, Khetrapal, as Lokayukta, issued a notice to all members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly for failing to disclose their assets. In response, the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly stated that legislators are not legally required to make such disclosures.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nath|first=Damini|date=2019-01-18|title=Lokayukta, Delhi Assembly at loggerheads over notices to MLAs|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/lokayukta-delhi-assembly-at-loggerheads-over-notices-to-mlas/article26019592.ece|access-date=2020-11-15|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> She is also conducting ongoing proceedings into a complaint regarding corruption, filed by Delhi [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] leader [[Manoj Tiwari (Delhi politician)|Manoj Tiwari]] against [[Aam Aadmi Party]] ministers [[Manish Sisodia]] and [[Satyendra Kumar Jain|Satyender Jain]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Classroom 'scam': Lokayukta seeks proof of graft against Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2019/sep/05/classroom-scam-lokayukta-seeks-proof-of-graft-against-manish-sisodia-satyendar-jain-2029173.html|access-date=2020-11-15|website=The New Indian Express|date=5 September 2019 }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khetrapal, Reva}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Shimla]]
[[Category:Judges of the Delhi High Court]]
[[Category:Ombudsmen in India]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women judges]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women judges]]
[[Category:Miranda House alumni]]

Reva Khetrapal - Revision history

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