SC Collegium Recommends Advocate for Malegaon Blast Accused as Bombay High Court Judge

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 11th Jan. In a meeting, the Supreme Court Collegium approved the proposal to elevate advocate Neela Kedar Gokhale to the Bombay High Court as a judge.

The Bombay High Court currently has 65 judges, compared to a sanctioned strength of 94.

The Supreme Court Collegium, chaired by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, recommended the elevation of advocate Gokhale, who represented Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, accused in the 2007 Malegaon blasts case, which killed six people and injured over 100.

According to the Collegium’s statement, “The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 10 January 2023 has approved the proposal for elevation of Smt. Neela Kedar Gokhale, Advocate in the Bombay High Court.”

The recommendation will now be finalized by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.

The Collegium also reaffirmed its previous recommendation for the appointment of advocate Nagendra Ramachandra Naik to the Karnataka High Court.

During its meeting, the Collegium also recommended that seven judicial officers be appointed as judges of various High Courts.

It agreed to the elevation of two judicial officers, Ramachandra Dattatray Huddar and Venkatesh Naik Thavaryanaik, to the Karnataka High Court.

It also recommended that judicial officer Mridul Kumar Kalita be appointed as a Gauhati High Court judge.

The Collegium approved the elevation of judicial officers P Venkata Jyothirmai and V Gopalakrishna Rao from Andhra Pradesh to the High Court there.

It also approved the elevation of judicial officers Aribam Guneshwar Sharma and Golmei Gaiphulshillu Kabui to the Manipur High Court.