Supreme Court Collegium Recommends 3 Advocates and 4 Judicial Officers for Appointment as Judges of 2 High Courts

On October 15, 2024, the Supreme Court (SC) Collegium recommended the names of 3 Advocates and 4 Judicial Officers for appointment as Judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court and Kerala High Court respectively. The SC Collegium issued two separate resolutions illustrating the names of Advocates and Judicial Officers recommended for appointment as High Court Judges. 

The names of three Advocates recommended for appointment as Judges of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh are: Shri Maheswara Rao Kuncheam @ Kuncham, Shri Thoota Chandra Dhana Sekar @ T C D Sekhar, and Shri Challa Gunaranjan. While recommending their names, the Collegium said, “In order to ascertain the suitability of the above advocates for elevation to the High Court, we have consulted our colleagues conversant with the affairs of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. One of the consultee-Judges has not given his views on the suitability or otherwise regarding the candidates.” Recommending Advocate Shri Maheswara Rao Kuncheam @ Kuncham’s name, the Collegium said, “All the four consultee-Judges have given a positive opinion on the suitability of the candidate for appointment as a Judge of the High Court. The candidate has a good practice at the Bar…He has appeared/argued a number of cases which is reflected by his appearance in 136 reported judgments delivered by the High Court.” 

Furthermore, the resolution reads, “One of the consultee-Judges has opined that the candidate (Shri Thoota Chandra Dhana Sekar @ T C D Sekhar) did not particularly stand out, in terms of his performance and is mediocre, at best. Three other consultee-Judges have given a positive opinion on the suitability of the candidate for appointment as a Judge of the High Court.” The SC Collegium, while recommending Advocate Shri Challa Gunaranjan’s name said, “All the four consultee-Judges have given a positive opinion on the suitability of the candidate for appointment as a Judge of the High Court. The candidate has an extensive practice which is reflected in his professional income of Rs. 71.74 lacs per annum and 129 reported judgments delivered in the cases in which he appeared/argued. The inputs provided in the file also indicate that his professional competence is viewed to be good and that nothing adverse has come to notice with regard to his integrity.” 

In another resolution issued by the SC Collegium, the SC bench recommended the names of four judicial officers for appointment as Judges of the High Court of Kerala, Shri K V Jayakumar, Shri Muralee Krishna S, Shri Jobin Sebastian, and Shri P V Balakrishnan. After considering the opinion of three consultee-judges, the SC Collegium said that bearing in mind the views of the consultee-Judges, the report of the Judgment Assessment Committee, and the assessment made by the Government of India in the file, the Collegium is of the considered view that Shri K V Jayakumar, Shri Muralee Krishna S, Shri Jobin Sebastian, and Shri P V Balakrishnan are suitable for appointment as Judges of the Kerala High Court. Lastly, the SC Collegium constituting, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, and Justice BR Gavai said, “By recommendation dated 10 October 2023, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended names of five Judicial Officers including the name of Shri P Krishna Kumar for elevation as Judges of the High Court of Kerala. Out of these, four Judicial Officers have been appointed. However, nothing has been intimated by the Government to the Collegium with regard to the status of Shri P Krishna Kumar. The Collegium, therefore, resolves that the four Judicial Officers whose names are recommended above shall rank, in the appointment order, below Shri P Krishna Kumar and their inter se seniority shall be fixed in that order.”