Collegium suggests Sandhawalia as Himachal HC Chief Justice

Making changes in its earlier resolution, the Supreme Court on Tuesday recommended Justice GS Sandhawalia, Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Suresh Kumar Kait to be appointed as chief justices of the high courts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and Madhya Pradesh.

The development came barely four days after the Centre told the top court that certain “sensitive information” available with it was delaying forward movement on the Collegium’s July 11 recommendation for appointment of chief justices of the high courts of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Madras and Meghalaya.

In supersession of its earlier recommendation made on July 11, the Collegium led by CJI DY Chandrachud recommended that Justice Tashi Rabstan of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh be appointed as the Chief Justice of his parent high court. Earlier, he was recommended to be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.

The Collegium recommended Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji of the Calcutta High Court to be appointed as Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.

The Collegium had earlier recommended that Justice Rajiv Shakdher of the Delhi High Court be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on the transfer of the incumbent Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao.

Since Justice Shakdher is due to retire on October 18, 2024, the Collegium, in supersession of its earlier recommendation dated July 11, recommended that Justice G S Sandhawalia—the seniormost puisne judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court—be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on the retirement of Justice Shakdher.

Regarding Justice Suresh Kumar Kait of the Delhi High Court, who was earlier recommended to be appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Collegium on Tuesday recommended that he be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

There was no change in its recommendation for appointment of Delhi High Court Acting Chief Justice Manmohan as the Chief Justice of the same high court.

Similarly, the Collegium’s recommendations for appointment of Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar—the senior-most puisne judge of the High Court of Bombay, as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court and appointment of Justice KR Shriram— a senior judge of the Bombay High Court—as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court remained the same.