4 HC chief justices likely to be promoted to Supreme Court
Chief justices of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab & Haryana, Rajasthan and Kerala high courts have got recommendation of the top court collegium.
New Delhi: The chief justices of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, Rajasthan and Kerala high courts, Justice V. Ramasubramanian, Justice Krishna Murari, S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice Hrishikesh Roy respectively are likely to be elevated as judges of the Supreme Court.
The top court collegium, the sources said, have recommended the elevation of Himachal Pradesh high court chief justice, Justice V. Ramasubramanian, Punjab and Haryana high court chief justice, Justice Krishna Murari, Rajasthan high court chief justice, Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Kerala high court chief justice, Justice Hrishikesh Roy as judges of the top court.
All the four chief justices of HCs, if the top court colleguim’s recommendation is accepted by the Centre would fill four vacant slots — one on account of the retirement of Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre and three slots that were created with the increase in the strength of top court judges from 31 to 34.
Justice Sapre had retired on August 27, 2019. Justice Akil Kureshi — a Bombay high court judge — who was recommended for appointment as chief justice of Madhya Pradesh high court — is now likely to be appointed as chief justice of Kerala high court, sources said.
The top court collegium had on May 10, 2019, recommendation to appoint Bombay high court judge Justice Akil Kureshi as chief justice of Madhya Pradesh high court.
The recommendation for the appointment of Justice Kureshi as chief justice of Madhya Pradesh high court was pending with the government.
The Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had on August 28, 2019, said that he had received a communication from the government a day earlier and the same would be placed before the collegium.
The collegium of top three judges — CJI Gogoi, Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice N.V. Ramana — before which the communication from the government would be placed is yet to meet, sources said.
The top court had on August 16, 2019, had given the Centre a week’s time to communicate to the collegium its decision on the recommendation for the appointment of Justice Kureshi as the chief justice of Madhya Pradesh high court.
The Gujarat high court advocate association had moved the top court seeking direction to the Centre to implement the collegium’s May 10, 2019, recommendation to appoint Justice Kureshi as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court.