Karnataka HC CJ recommended for SC

Karnataka High Court chief justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Delhi High Court judge Justice Sanjiv Khanna have been recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium for elevation as top court judges.

If the recommendations were accepted by the government, the number of judges in the Supreme Court would rise to 28 against the sanctioned strength of 31 judges. There are only 26 judges in the top court.

“While recommending the names of Justices Maheshwari and Khanna, the Collegium has taken into consideration combined seniority on all-India basis of chief justices and senior puisne Judges of High Courts, apart from their merit and integrity. The Collegium has also kept in mind the desirability of giving due representation on the bench of the Supreme Court, as far as possible, to all the High Courts,” the Collegium resolution stated.

The meeting of the Collegium headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde, N V Ramana and Arun Mishra took place on Thursday.

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 September 2, 2004, and was transferred to Allahabad High Court on July 19, 2014.

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