NEW DELHI: In the biggest-ever exercise relating to appointments and transfers in constitutional courts, the 5-judge Supreme Court collegium led by CJI B R Gavai on Monday presented a long list of recommendations to the Union govt - to appoint three new SC judges and five new HC chief justices, and to transfer four CJs and 22 HC judges.
The collegium, also comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J K Maheshwari and B V Nagarathna, completed the big exercise in a five-hour meeting Monday afternoon. Karnataka HC CJ N V Anjaria (parent HC Gujarat), Gauhati HC Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi (parent HC Rajasthan) and Bombay HC's Justice Atul S Chandurkar have been recommended for appointment as SC judges.
The collegium examined the seniority, merit and suitability of nearly 30 shortlisted HC judges and found these three judges meritorious, suitable as well as senior enough to be appointed as judges of the SC, which has 30 judges, including the CJI, against a sanctioned strength of 33.
The collegium recommended the appointment of Delhi HC's Justice Vibhu Bhakru as chief justice of Karnataka, a post which will fall vacant on appointment of Justice Anjaria as SC judge. It decided to appoint Justice Vipul Pancholi (parent HC Gujarat) as CJ of Patna HC which he joined in 2023 upon transfer.
2 of 3 new SC judges to serve for almost 5 years Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, who was transferred from Delhi high court to Madhya Pradesh high court in May 2024, has been recommended to be appointed as CJ of that high court. Chief Justice Suresh K Kait (parent HC Delhi) recently retired from the post.
Justice Ashutosh Kumar of Patna high court was recommended for appointment as CJ of Gauhati HC, a post which will fall vacant on Justice Bishnoi's appointment as an SC judge. Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan of Himachal Pradesh HC has been recommended for appointment as CJ of Jharkhand HC, from where incumbent CJ Ramachandra Rao has been recommended for transfer to Tripura HC as CJ. Tripura's incumbent CJ Aparesh Kumar Singh (parent HC Jharkhand) is recommended for appointment as Telangana HC CJ.
Madras HC CJ K R Shriram (parent HC Bombay) is recommended for transfer to Rajasthan high court, whose incumbent CJ M M Shrivastava (parent HC Chhattisgarh) has been recommended for transfer to Madras HC. In addition to this, the five-judge collegium also recommended transfers of judges out of and into 22 HCs, including Bombay, Allahabad and Delhi, sources told TOI.
Among the three names recommended for appointment as SC judges, Justices Anjaria and Chandurkar will each have tenures of a little less than five years, while Justice Bishnoi will serve for less than five years. Justice Anjaria was appointed as a judge of Gujarat HC on Nov 21, 2011, and took oath as CJ of Karnataka HC on February 25, 2024.
Justice Bishnoi was appointed as judge of Rajasthan HC on Jan 8, 2013, and became CJ of Gauhati HC on Feb 5, 2024. Justice Chandurkar practised in Nagpur bench of Bombay HC since 1992 and was appointed Bombay HC judge on June 21, 2013.
The collegium, also comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J K Maheshwari and B V Nagarathna, completed the big exercise in a five-hour meeting Monday afternoon. Karnataka HC CJ N V Anjaria (parent HC Gujarat), Gauhati HC Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi (parent HC Rajasthan) and Bombay HC's Justice Atul S Chandurkar have been recommended for appointment as SC judges.
The collegium examined the seniority, merit and suitability of nearly 30 shortlisted HC judges and found these three judges meritorious, suitable as well as senior enough to be appointed as judges of the SC, which has 30 judges, including the CJI, against a sanctioned strength of 33.
The collegium recommended the appointment of Delhi HC's Justice Vibhu Bhakru as chief justice of Karnataka, a post which will fall vacant on appointment of Justice Anjaria as SC judge. It decided to appoint Justice Vipul Pancholi (parent HC Gujarat) as CJ of Patna HC which he joined in 2023 upon transfer.
2 of 3 new SC judges to serve for almost 5 years Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, who was transferred from Delhi high court to Madhya Pradesh high court in May 2024, has been recommended to be appointed as CJ of that high court. Chief Justice Suresh K Kait (parent HC Delhi) recently retired from the post.
Justice Ashutosh Kumar of Patna high court was recommended for appointment as CJ of Gauhati HC, a post which will fall vacant on Justice Bishnoi's appointment as an SC judge. Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan of Himachal Pradesh HC has been recommended for appointment as CJ of Jharkhand HC, from where incumbent CJ Ramachandra Rao has been recommended for transfer to Tripura HC as CJ. Tripura's incumbent CJ Aparesh Kumar Singh (parent HC Jharkhand) is recommended for appointment as Telangana HC CJ.
Madras HC CJ K R Shriram (parent HC Bombay) is recommended for transfer to Rajasthan high court, whose incumbent CJ M M Shrivastava (parent HC Chhattisgarh) has been recommended for transfer to Madras HC. In addition to this, the five-judge collegium also recommended transfers of judges out of and into 22 HCs, including Bombay, Allahabad and Delhi, sources told TOI.
Among the three names recommended for appointment as SC judges, Justices Anjaria and Chandurkar will each have tenures of a little less than five years, while Justice Bishnoi will serve for less than five years. Justice Anjaria was appointed as a judge of Gujarat HC on Nov 21, 2011, and took oath as CJ of Karnataka HC on February 25, 2024.
Justice Bishnoi was appointed as judge of Rajasthan HC on Jan 8, 2013, and became CJ of Gauhati HC on Feb 5, 2024. Justice Chandurkar practised in Nagpur bench of Bombay HC since 1992 and was appointed Bombay HC judge on June 21, 2013.
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