Justice Alpesh Yashwant Kogje has taken charge as the new Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Governor Mangubhai Patel administered the oath at Lok Bhavan in Bhopal in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and senior officials.

Justice Alpesh Yashwant Kogje on Thursday took oath as the new Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Bhopal.Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Kogje in the presence of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal, senior government officials, judges and members of the legal community.With his appointment, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has received a permanent Chief Justice after nearly three months. Earlier, Justice Vivek Rusia was serving as the acting Chief Justice of the court.

Justice Kogje becomes 30th Chief Justice of MP High Court

Justice Alpesh Yashwant Kogje has become the 30th Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended his name for the post on August 31, 2026. Following approval from the President of India, the central government issued the official notification regarding his appointment.Justice Kogje is expected to formally assume charge at the Madhya Pradesh High Court from Friday.

Legal career began in Gujarat

Born on July 16, 1969, Justice Kogje completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1990 and earned his LLB degree in 1993.He began practising law in Gujarat the same year and went on to build a legal career spanning more than three decades.He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court on April 6, 2016, and became a permanent judge on March 15, 2018.

Experience in criminal law and government cases

Justice Kogje has been known for his expertise in criminal law. Before becoming a judge, he served in several important legal positions.He worked as an Assistant Government Pleader in 2001 and served as Additional Public Prosecutor from 2002 to 2007. In 2008, he was appointed as Standing Counsel for the Central Excise and Customs Department.He also served as Special Public Prosecutor for the Special Investigation Team and Special Counsel for the Special Task Force.During his legal career, he represented the Gujarat government in several important cases linked to the 2002 Godhra riots.

Key judgments during Gujarat High Court tenure

During his tenure as a Gujarat High Court judge, Justice Kogje dealt with several criminal, service, labour and environmental matters.In 2024, a bench headed by him rejected the bail plea of a man accused in his wife’s murder case, observing the seriousness of the allegations and the circumstances of the investigation.In another case related to custodial death in 2022, his bench denied bail and highlighted the seriousness of allegations against the accused.Justice Kogje has also been part of a bench that raised concerns over the protection of water bodies, including lakes and ponds, and the impact of unregulated land filling on the environment.

Nearly five-year tenure ahead

Justice Kogje will retire on July 15, 2031. As Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, he is expected to have a tenure of around four years and ten months.The Madhya Pradesh High Court will now function under his leadership as he takes charge of judicial administration and court proceedings.

In a landmark judgment, the Gujarat High Court on Monday upheld the Ahmedabad City Sessions Court's 2022 verdict in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case, confirming the death sentence awarded to 38 convicts and life imprisonment till the end of natural life for 11 others. The division bench dismissed all appeals filed by the convicts while also affirming the trial court's findings.

The High Court further directed the Gujarat government to ensure compensation for victims by March 31, 2027. Families of those killed in the blasts will receive ₹10 lakh each, victims who sustained grievous injuries will be paid ₹5 lakh, while those with minor injuries will receive ₹1 lakh as compensation.

High Court Confirms Trial Court Verdict

The verdict marks the culmination of a long legal battle that began after the devastating serial blasts on July 26, 2008. The Ahmedabad City Sessions Court had, on February 18, 2022, sentenced 38 convicts to death and 11 others to life imprisonment until the end of their natural lives. The Gujarat government had sought confirmation of the death penalties, while the convicted individuals challenged the judgment before the High Court.

After hearing the appeals, the High Court upheld the trial court's order in its entirety.

2008 Blasts Claimed 56 Lives

The coordinated terror attack struck Ahmedabad on the evening of July 26, 2008, when 21 bomb blasts ripped through 20 locations across the city within a span of nearly 90 minutes, between 6:15 pm and 7:45 pm.

The explosions killed 56 people and injured more than 200 others. Investigators said improvised explosive devices were planted in bicycles, buses and cars, including vehicles parked near Civil Hospital and L.G. Hospital, where several casualties were reported.

Massive Trial Spanning More Than a Decade

The trial involved 78 accused, of whom 49 were convicted and 29 acquitted. According to the prosecution, the investigation included 35 FIRs, 548 charge sheets, examination of 1,163 witnesses, and nearly 6,000 documentary and material exhibits.

The court's judgment ran into approximately 7,000 pages, while the complete case record reportedly exceeded 7.8 lakh pages, making it one of India's most extensive criminal trials.

The accused faced charges under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Information Technology Act, the Arms Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

Security Tightened Around High Court

Ahead of the verdict, authorities deployed extensive security arrangements at the Gujarat High Court. Entry to the court premises was allowed only after baggage screening, while personnel from the Crime Branch, local police, State Reserve Police (SRP), and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad were stationed throughout the complex.

More than two dozen lawyers attended the proceedings, and security remained in place inside and outside Court No. 39, where the judgment was pronounced.

Prosecution's Case

During the trial, the prosecution alleged that several accused had attended training camps in Halol, Gujarat, and Kerala in early 2008, where they were allegedly trained in bomb-making and radicalised through extremist speeches. Investigators claimed the conspirators later executed the coordinated bomb attacks targeting crowded public places across Ahmedabad.

The investigation led to the arrest of 82 accused after police registered 20 FIRs in Ahmedabad and 15 in Surat. Officials stated that the case was substantially cracked within 19 days of the blasts.

The High Court's decision is one of the most significant judicial developments in the nearly 18-year-old terror case, reaffirming the convictions and sentences awarded by the trial court while bringing the prolonged appellate proceedings to a close.

The Gujarat High Court pulled up former cricketer and TMC MP Yusuf Pathan on Monday over his occupation of a Vadodara plot that was never formally allotted to him, warning that the land must be vacated or penalties would follow.

Court Demands Explanation

The Gujarat High Court on Monday sharply questioned former Indian cricketer and sitting Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan over his possession of a disputed municipal plot in Vadodara — land, the bench pointedly noted, that he was never legally allotted.

"If the land was never allotted, how did you take possession of it?" the division bench asked during the hearing, underlining that not a single rupee had been paid, no lease deed had been executed, and none of the required formalities had been completed.

The court went further — it asked Pathan to identify which official had handed over possession of the plot, indicating that an inquiry could be initiated against that person.

The Core of the Dispute

The case has its roots in a 2012 application filed by Pathan seeking a plot in Vadodara. The Standing Committee of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation approved a proposal to allot the land to him at market value. The General Body later endorsed the proposal, and it was forwarded to the Gujarat government for final approval.

The state government, however, rejected the proposal in 2014, citing the absence of a public auction process. Under its position, no allotment of public land could be made through a selective process without following prescribed norms.

Pathan challenged this rejection — along with a June 2024 VMC order directing removal of his possession — before the Gujarat High Court in 2024.

His Legal Argument

Pathan's counsel argued that the plot falls under municipal corporation jurisdiction and that state government approval was not required in the first place. The petition also invoked a 1999 state policy that allegedly made international cricketers eligible for land allotments, pointing out that both Yusuf and his brother Irfan Pathan had represented India at the highest level.

His legal team further contended that the allotment proposal had cleared both the Standing Committee and the General Body, and that Pathan had at all times expressed willingness to pay prevailing market value. The petition also cited security concerns, noting that the plot is situated near his residence.

Single Judge Had Already Dismissed His Plea

This is not the first time the matter has gone against Pathan. A single-judge bench had earlier dismissed his challenge, observing that he held no allotment letter and no legal order granting him possession.

The single judge had noted that despite the complete absence of any legal allotment, a boundary wall had been constructed around the property — an action the court described as an attempt to create pressure for eventual allotment. The judgment had been unambiguous: public land cannot change hands through a selective process.

Corporation Stands Firm

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation told the division bench that state government clearance was always mandatory given that the process bypassed public auction. It submitted that Pathan had been informed of this requirement and that the state's rejection had been duly communicated to him over the years.

The corporation's position was that no valid allotment had ever come into existence — the Standing Committee's resolution was a proposal, nothing more.

Court Warns of Penalties

The bench on Monday made its views plain: unauthorized occupation of public land amounts to an offence. It said the conduct was unexpected from an international cricketer, and stressed that even if the plot was lying unused, compensation and rent would still be payable for the period of occupation.

If the land is not voluntarily vacated, the court indicated it could direct authorities to reclaim possession and assess dues for the entire period it has remained under Pathan's control.

The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for June 15.