Centre Appoints Eight High Court Judges as Chief Justices

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday appointed eight judges as Chief Justices of various High Courts across the country. The appointments were made in exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, according to Law and Justice Minister Arjunram Meghwal.

The reshuffle includes notable transfers and elevations. Justice Sanjay Kumar Agarwal of the Chhattisgarh High Court will now head the Rajasthan High Court. His appointment comes amid a controversy surrounding Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, who faces allegations raised by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta in a letter to the Chief Justice of India. Lawyers in Rajasthan have protested the allegations, while Justice Sharma has denied them as baseless and stated he has submitted his response.

In other appointments, Justice Valluri Kameswar Rao of the Delhi High Court has been made Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, and Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge of the Bombay High Court will lead the Calcutta High Court. Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has been appointed Chief Justice of the same court.

Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra of the Orissa High Court will head the Chhattisgarh High Court, while Justice Alpesh Yeshwant Kogje of the Gujarat High Court has been appointed Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi of the Allahabad High Court will take charge as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, and Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati of the Rajasthan High Court has been appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.