Transfer of 21 High Court Judges: In a major administrative reshuffle in the higher judiciary, the Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the transfer of 21 judges across 10 High Courts in the country. Among them, three judges from the Punjab and Haryana High Court — Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, Justice Sudhir Singh, and Justice Anil Kshetarpal — have been recommended for transfer to the Rajasthan, Patna, and Delhi High Courts respectively.
The decision, made during a meeting chaired by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Monday, was announced by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. While the apex court did not cite specific reasons for the large-scale transfers, sources familiar with the matter indicated that the recommendations were made “in the interest of justice” as part of routine judicial administrative measures.
Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma’s transfer to Rajasthan marks a return to his parent High Court. Justice Sudhir Singh is set to return to the Patna High Court, while Justice Anil Kshetarpal will move to the Delhi High Court. Meanwhile, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra from the Allahabad High Court has been proposed to fill a vacancy in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The reshuffle encompasses a wide spectrum of movements. Justice Sujoy Paul has been recommended to shift from the Telangana High Court to the Calcutta High Court. Justice V Kameswar Rao will return to the Delhi High Court from Karnataka, while Justice Lanusungkum Jamir and Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak have been moved from the Gauhati High Court to Calcutta and Orissa respectively.
Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre has been recommended for transfer from Bombay to Delhi, and Justice Suman Shyam from Gauhati to Bombay. Justice Vivek Chaudhary will be moved from Allahabad to Delhi, while Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh is set to shift from Kerala to Karnataka.
Further transfers include Justice Vivek Kumar Singh from Madras to Madhya Pradesh, Justice Battu Devanand from Madras to Andhra Pradesh, and Justice Om Prakash Shukla from Allahabad to Delhi. Additionally, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar will move from Rajasthan to Bombay and Justice Arun Kumar Monga from Rajasthan to Delhi.
The Collegium has also proposed that Justice Jayant Banerji of the Allahabad High Court be transferred to Karnataka. Justice C Sumalatha and Justice Lalitha Kanneganti are both being moved to the Telangana High Court from Karnataka, while Justice Annireddy Abhishek Reddy is being transferred from Patna to Telangana.
In addition to the transfers, the Collegium has recommended Karnataka High Court Chief Justice NV Anjaria, Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi, and Justice Atul S Chandurkar of the Bombay High Court for elevation to the Supreme Court bench. It has also proposed five new appointments for Chief Justices in the High Courts of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gauhati, Patna, and Jharkhand.
These reshuffles and recommendations signal the Supreme Court’s ongoing efforts to maintain a balanced and efficient judiciary across the country’s vast and diverse legal landscape.