Karnataka HC CJ, Delhi HC judge appointed to SC

Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Delhi High Court judge Justice Sanjiv Khanna were on Wednesday appointed as judges to the Supreme Court.

Justice Khanna would become the Chief Justice of India for six months and two days after the retirement of Justice D Y Chandrachud on Nov. 10, 2024.

The notifications on their appointment by the President was issued, amid questions about the Supreme Court Collegium's decision to supersede about 30 judges in the all India seniority to recommend their names for elevation.

Within days of the Collegium's recommendation of Jan. 10, the government cleared their names in an apparent move to end the controversy.

With the fresh appointments, the number of judges in the Supreme Court rose to 28 against the sanctioned strength of 31 judges.

Justice Maheshwari, who hailed from Rajasthan, stood at serial number 21 in the combined seniority of High Court judges on all-India basis. He was appointed as a judge of the Rajasthan High Court on Sept. 2, 2004, and was transferred to Allahabad High Court on July 19, 2014.

He was elevated as Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court on Feb. 24, 2016, before his transfer to the Karnataka High Court on Feb. 12, 2018.

Justice Khanna stood at serial number 33 in the combined seniority of high court judges on all-India basis. He was appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court on June 24, 2005, and since then has been functioning there in the same capacity.

Notably, the Collegium had last month reportedly decided to recommend the name of Delhi HC Chief Justice Ranjendra Menon and Rajasthan HC Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog. However, it was suggested that with the Collegium having undergone changes with the retirement of Justice Madan B Lokur and the inclusion of Justice Arun Mishra, the decision was reconsidered to recommend the names of Justices Maheshwari and Khanna for elevation to the Supreme Court.