SC Collegium Recommends One-Year Extension for Nine Calcutta HC Judges

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 25th July. The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, has recommended a one-year extension for nine additional judges of the Calcutta High Court.

The decision, announced by the collegium which includes Justices Sanjiv Khanna and BR Gavai, extends the terms of Justices Biswaroop Chowdhury, Partha Sarathi Sen, Prasenjit Biswas, Uday Kumar, Ajay Kumar Gupta, Supratim Bhattacharya, Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, Apurba Sinha Ray, and Md. Shabbar Rashidi.

Earlier in April, the Calcutta High Court Collegium had unanimously recommended these judges for appointment as permanent members of the court. However, the Supreme Court Collegium has opted to extend their current terms by one year rather than confirming their permanent status at this stage.

The recommendation follows a process where the Chief Minister and the Governor of West Bengal were given the opportunity to provide their views on the appointments. As their comments were not received within the required timeframe, the Supreme Court Collegium presumed they had no additional input and proceeded accordingly.

The Collegium’s decision was based on consultations with Supreme Court judges familiar with the Calcutta High Court’s affairs, assessing the additional judges’ suitability for permanent roles. The extension of their terms will be effective from August 31, 2024.