SC Collegium Recommends Appointments, Transfer Of Chief Justices In High Courts

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the names of eight judges for appointment as Chief Justices at different high courts across the country. The three-member Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, is also said to have suggested the transfer of five chief justices and 28 other high court judges to other high courts.

The Collegium, which also included Justice UU Lalit and Justice AM Khanwilkar, has recommended the names of judges for elevation as chief justices of the high courts of  Telangana, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Allahabad, Calcutta, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. The decision is likely to be announced soon. 

Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal of the Calcutta High Court has been recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra (Chhattisgarh HC), Justice Prakash Srivastava (MP HC), and Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi (Allahabad HC) have been recommended for appointment as chief justices of high courts of  Andhra PradeshCalcutta, and Karnataka, respectively.

Justice Satish Chandra Sharma (Acting CJ of Karnataka HC), Justice Ranjit V More (Bombay HC), Justice Aravind Kumar (Karnataka HC), and Justice RV Malimath (Karnataka HC) have been recommended for appointment as chief justices of high courts of Telangana, Meghalaya, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh respectively. Tripura High Court Chief Justice Akil A Kureshi is being transferred to the Rajasthan High Court.

The Collegium has also recommended that Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami of the Andhra Pradesh High Court be transferred to the Chhattisgarh High Court, Chief Justice Mohd Rafiq of the Madhya Pradesh High Court be transferred to the Himachal Pradesh High Court, and Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder of the Meghalaya High Court be transferred to the Sikkim High Court.

According to the sources, besides Justice Bindal, the Collegium has recommended the names of Justices Prakash Srivastava, Satish Chandra Sharma, Ranjit V More, Aravind Kumar, Prashant Kumar Mishra, Ritu Raj Awasthi and R V Malimath for appointing them as chief justices of different high courts across the country.

After Justice Ramana taking the charge as the 48th CJI, the Supreme Court Collegium has recommended 82 names to different high courts for appointment as judges.