Amid Row, Supreme Court Recommends 5 Names For Elevation As High Court Judges

The Supreme Court Collegium on Thursday recommended the names of five judges for elevation as Chief Justices of the High Court.

The Collegium recommended Justice Pritinker Diwaker to Allahabad High Court, Justice TS Sivagnanam to Calcutta High Court, Justice Ramesh Sinha to Chhattisgarh High Court, Justice Sonia G Gokani to Gujarat High Court and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur to Manipur High Court.

The Collegium recommended Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur as Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court. He is the brother of former Chief Justice of India TS Thakur.

Justice Thakur, whose parent High Court is the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, has been a judge of the Bombay High Court since June 10, 2022.

The Collegium's resolution said that the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court does not have representation amongst Chief Justices of High Courts since the retirement of Justice AM Margret.

It noted that over a long period of time, no judge from Jammu and Kashmir origin has been elevated as Chief Justice of a High Court or as a judge of the Supreme Court.

"Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Mr Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur is fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur," it added.

It recommended the appointment of Justice Pritinker Diwaker as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and noted that the position of Chief Justice at the Allahabad High Court would be falling vacant once the Collegium's earlier recommendation to elevate incumbent Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal to the Supreme Court is cleared by the Central government.

The Collegium recommended the appointment of Justice TS Sivagnanam as the next Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.

It also recommended the appointment of Justice Sonia G Gokani as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court. The recommendation was made in light of the fact that current Chief Justice Aravind Kumar was recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court last month.

The Collegium has recommended the name of Justice Ramesh Sinha, the seniormost puisne Judge from the High Court of Allahabad, as the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court.

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