2 HC CJs elevated to SC; apex court reaches full strength with 34 judges

Two High Court Chief Justices were elevated as the Supreme Court judges on Friday. With this, the top court in the country has reached its full strength with 34 judges. Today's elevated SC judges are - Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice of Allahabad HC and Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice of Gujarat Hight Court.

New Delhi: Chief Justices of two High Courts - Allahabad and Gujarat - were elevated as the Supreme Court judges on Friday. This has been disclosed by Union Minister for Law Kiren Rijiju.

In a tweet today, Rijiju said, "as per the provisions under the Constitution of India, the President has appointed the following Chief Justices of High Courts as Judges of the Supreme Court. First - Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice of Allahabad HC and Second - Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice of Gujarat Hight Court." Only on Thursday, the Collegium said the CJ post at Allahabad HC would fall vacant.

• As per the provisions under the Constitution of India, Hon’ble President of India has appointed the following Chief Justices of High Courts as Judges of the Supreme Court. My best to them.
  1.Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice, Allahabad HC.
  2.Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, Gujarat HC

  — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 10, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  As per the provisions under the Constitution of India, Hon’ble President of India has appointed the following Chief Justices of High Courts as Judges of the Supreme Court. My best to them.
  1.Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice, Allahabad HC.
  2.Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, Gujarat HC

  — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 10, 2023

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  As per the provisions under the Constitution of India, Hon’ble President of India has appointed the following Chief Justices of High Courts as Judges of the Supreme Court. My best to them.
  1.Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice, Allahabad HC.
  2.Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, Gujarat HC

  — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 10, 2023

Recently, 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 HC), Justice T S Sivagnanam (Calcutta HC), Justice Ramesh Sinha (Chhattisgarh HC), Justice Sonia G Gokani (Gujarat HC) and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur (Manipur HC).

The Collegium's statement released on Thursday said 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 senior most puisne Judge at the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad where he has been serving, on transfer, since 03 October 2018. Justice Pritinker Diwaker has earlier served as the senior most puisne Judge of the High Court of Chhattisgarh.

The Collegium has recommended Justice Diwaker for the CJ post at Allahabad HC. "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.