Collegium names 4 CJs of HCs for elevation to SC

The Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India is learnt to have recommended elevation of four judges to the top court.

The names of Chief Justice of Patna High Court M R Shah, Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court Hemant Gupta, Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court R Subhash Reddy and Chief Justice of Tripura High Court Ajay Rastogi have been cleared by the Collegium, sources said.

The Collegium, comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph, A K Sikri and S A Bobde, met on Tuesday and decided to recommend the four chief justices for elevation.

The detailed consideration of factors weighing in favour of the four judges is yet to be made public.

If the recommendations are accepted by the government, the judges strength of the top court would rise to 28 as against the sanctioned 31.

It may be recalled that the 'Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms' had written a letter in March 2017 to then Chief Justice of India, seeking an in-house inquiry against Justice Gupta, then acting Chief Justice of Patna HC, for alleged 'disproportionate assets' and 'misbehaviour'.