New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended new Chief Justices for the High Courts of Allahabad, Calcutta, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Manipur. The five new Chief Justices include Justice Pritinker Diwaker (Allahabad High Court), Justice T S Sivagnanam (Calcutta High Court), Justice Ramesh Sinha (Chhattisgarh High Court), Justice Sonia G Gokani (Gujarat High Court), and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur (Manipur High Court).
The Collegium's statement released on Thursday reads that the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad would be falling vacant, consequent upon the elevation of Justice Rajesh Bindal to the Supreme Court of India. Therefore, an appointment to that office is required to be made. Justice Pritinker Diwaker is the seniormost puisne Judge at the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad where he has been serving, on transfer, since 03 October 2018. Justice Pritinker Diwaker is the seniormost puisne Judge of the High Court of Chhattisgarh.
"Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Mr Justice Pritinker Diwaker is fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad," the Collegium has said.
Similarly, the statement says that the office of the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court would be falling vacant on 30 March 2023, consequent upon the retirement of Justice Prakash Shrivastava and therefore, the Collegium has recommended the name of Justice T S Sivagnanam, the seniormost Judge of the Calcutta High Court for appointment as Chief of High Court.
Also read: SC collegium recommends appointment of CJs of high courts of Patna, HP, Gauhati, Tripura
The office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh would be falling vacant on 10 March 2023, consequent upon the retirement of Justice Arup Kumar Goswami. Therefore, the Collegium has recommended the name of Justice Ramesh Sinha, the seniormost puisne Judge from the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, as the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh HC.
While recommending his name, in its statement, the Collegium noted that the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad is the largest High Court in the country, however, after the elevation of Justice Pankaj Mithal to the Supreme Court, it does not have any representation among the Chief Justices of the High Courts.
Since the Supreme Court Collegium, by its resolution dated 31 January 2023, has recommended the elevation of Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice of the High Court of Gujarat, as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, therefore, to take care of the probable vacancy, the Collegium has recommended the name of Justice Sonia Gokani as the Chief Justice of the High Court.
Since the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur has fallen vacant recently consequent upon the elevation of Justice P V Sanjay Kumar to the Supreme Court of India, therefore, the SC collegium has recommended the name of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, the seniormost Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, as the Chief Justice of Manipur HC.
