Centre ignores SC recommendation on Madhya Pradesh HC chief justice, appoints another judge to post
Justice Ravi Shanker Jha was named the acting chief justice of the court instead of Justice Akil Kureshi.
The Centre on Friday appointed the most senior judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court to the post of acting chief justice, even as a recommendation for another nominee for the post made by the Supreme Court collegium remains pending for a month, Live Law reported. Two other recommendations made in the same collegium resolution are yet to be accepted, while one has been cleared.
On May 10, the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended to the Centre the appointment of Justice Akil Kureshi, the most senior judge of the Gujarat High Court, to the post of chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. It also suggested Justice DN Patel’s name as chief justice of the Delhi High Court. Patel’s name was approved by the Centre on May 22.
On Friday, the government issued a notification, saying that Justice Ravi Shanker Jha of the Madhya Pradesh High Court would take over as acting chief justice when incumbent Sanjay Kumar Seth retires on June 9. Jha will take charge on June 10.
Other recommendations made on May 10 – Justice V Ramasubramanian as chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and Justice RS Chauhan as chief justice of the Telangana High Court – are pending.
Kureshi had been transferred from the Gujarat High Court to the Bombay High Court last year, despite protests from the bar. The Gujarat High Court Advocates Association had moved a resolution, claiming that the transfer was made with “extraneous considerations” in mind.