CJI Gogoi in ‘Awe’ of Centre’s Swift Approval of 4 New SC Judges

The judges were on 1 November elevated to SC within 48 hours of collegium recommending their names to government.

Justice Ranjan Gogoi was sworn in as the 46th Chief Justice of India on 3 October 2018.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, on Friday, 2 November, said he was in “awe of the historic speed” at which the Centre cleared the way for four new Supreme Court judges.

Four High Court chief justices were sworn-in as judges of the Supreme Court on Friday, 2 November, IANS reported.

The judges were elevated to the Supreme Court on Thursday night, 1 November, within 48 hours of the Collegium recommending their names to the government.

As per the Law Ministry notification, the president appointed Justices Hemant Gupta, Ramayyagari Subhash Reddy, Mukeshkumar Rasikbhai Shah and Ajay Rastogi “with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices”.

On 30 November, the SC Collegium, headed by the chief justice, had recommended the names of the four judges for elevation as apex court judges.

Before their appointment to the SC, Justice Gupta was serving as the chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, while Justice Rastogi was the chief justice of the Tripura High Court.

Justice Shah was the incumbent chief Justice of the Patna High Court, while Justice Reddy was the chief justice of the Gujarat High Court.

The ministry had also notified the appointment of acting chief justices in these high courts.

With the new judges being sworn-in, the strength of the Supreme Court has risen to 28.

This year, two judges – Justices Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph – are set to retire from the top court, while Justice AK Sikri will demit office in March 2019.

Justice Gupta was appointed as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on 2 July 2002. On 8 February 2016, he was transferred to the Patna High Court where he was appointed as the acting chief justice on 29 October 2016.

He was appointed as the chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on 18 March 2017.

Justice Rastogi was appointed as a judge of the Rajasthan High Court in September 2004 and was also made the acting chief justice there.

He had taken oath as the chief justice of the Tripura High Court on 1 March 2018.

Justice Shah was appointed as a judge of the Gujarat High Court on 7 March 2004 and later in August this year, he was sworn-in as the chief justice of the Patna High Court.

Justice Reddy was elevated as an additional judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on 2 December 2002. He was elevated as the chief justice of the Gujarat High Court on 13 February 2016.

(With PTI and IANS inputs.)