The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of Odisha High Court judge Justice Krishna Ram Mohapatra as the next Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court, ahead of Chief Justice Ramesh Kumar Sinha’s retirement on September 4.

The Collegium has also recommended the elevation of Chhattisgarh High Court judge Justice Sanjay K Agrawal as Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. The recommendations are part of a wider reshuffle involving judges of several High Courts.

According to the recommendations, Justice Alpesh Yashwant Kogje of the Gujarat High Court is proposed to become Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, while Rajasthan High Court judge Justice Dr Pushpendra Singh Bhati has been recommended as Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.

Justice Mohapatra’s transfer to Chhattisgarh

Justice Krishna Ram Mohapatra is currently associated with the Odisha High Court. The Collegium has recommended his transfer to the Chhattisgarh High Court along with his elevation as its Chief Justice.

Born on April 18, 1965, Justice Mohapatra comes from a legal family. His father, Sarat Chandra Mohapatra, had served as a judge. Justice Mohapatra completed his BA and LLB before enrolling as an advocate with the Odisha State Bar Council on February 7, 1988.

During his legal career, he worked across several areas, including civil, service, criminal and constitutional matters. He also represented the Odisha government and the Odisha Public Service Commission as an additional standing counsel.

His legal experience has included matters concerning guardianship, Hindu minority and guardianship law, adoption and maintenance, and juvenile justice.

Sanjay K Agrawal recommended for Rajasthan HC

The Collegium has recommended Justice Sanjay K Agrawal of the Chhattisgarh High Court for elevation as Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.

His elevation will result in another senior judge moving out of the Chhattisgarh High Court at a time when the court is already facing a reduction in its judicial strength.

Justice Agrawal is among the judges recommended for elevation as Chief Justice in the latest round of recommendations. Justice Kogje and Justice Bhati have also been recommended for similar appointments in Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, respectively.

Three judges recommended for Chhattisgarh HC

The Supreme Court Collegium has also recommended the appointment of three judicial officers as judges of the Chhattisgarh High Court.

The names recommended from the judicial service are Santosh Sharma, Sushma Sawant and Sudhir Kumar.

Their appointments, if approved, are expected to strengthen the bench after the retirement and proposed elevation of senior judges.

Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha to retire

The latest recommendations come ahead of the retirement of Chhattisgarh High Court Chief Justice Ramesh Kumar Sinha on September 4.

Justice Sinha’s retirement, along with the recent retirement of Justice Sanjay S Agrawal and Justice Radhakishan Agrawal, has reduced the strength of the High Court.

According to the information provided, the Chhattisgarh High Court currently has 11 judges, including the Chief Justice. The proposed appointment of three new judges could increase the court's strength once the recommendations receive the required approvals.

Wider High Court reshuffle

The Collegium's recommendations extend beyond Chhattisgarh and involve multiple High Courts.

Justice Sanjay K Agrawal has been recommended for the Rajasthan High Court, Justice Alpesh Yashwant Kogje for the Madhya Pradesh High Court and Justice Dr Pushpendra Singh Bhati for the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.

The recommendations are part of a broader judicial reshuffle aimed at filling Chief Justice positions and strengthening High Court benches.

For Chhattisgarh, the proposed appointment of Justice Mohapatra assumes significance as the court prepares for the retirement of its incumbent Chief Justice. At the same time, the proposed appointment of three additional judges could help address the reduction in the court's judicial strength.

The recommendations, however, are subject to the subsequent stages of the appointment process before the judges formally assume their respective posts.