SC Collegium recommends new chief justices for multiple HCs

The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, has recommended the appointment of new chief justices for the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh high courts. The collegium, comprising the CJI and Justices Vikram Nath, B V Nagarathna, M M Sundresh and P S Narasimha, made the recommendations at its meeting on Monday. Justice Sanjay K Agrawal, whose parent high court is the Chhattisgarh High Court, has been recommended as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. The recommendation for the Rajasthan High Court comes against the backdrop of allegations made by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta against the court’s Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.

Justice Mehta, whose parent high court is also the Rajasthan High Court, had written three letters to the CJI on August 2, 10 and 17, urging the appointment of a permanent chief justice from outside the state. The collegium has also recommended Justice Alpesh Yeshwant Kogje of the Gujarat High Court as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Justice Dr Pushpendra Singh Bhati, whose parent high court is Rajasthan, has been recommended as the Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.

Separately, the collegium, at its meeting held on August 6, recommended the appointment of Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra, a judge of the Orissa High Court, as the chief justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court. The recommendation was made in view of the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice on September 4. The recommendations will take effect after the government makes the necessary appointments under the constitutional process.