The Central Government has notified the transfer of Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, Justice Pradeep Nandrajog to the Bombay High Court as its Chief Justice.
“In exercise of powers conferred by Clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Shri Justice Pradeep Nandrajog Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court; as Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and to direct him to assume charge of the office of Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court after retirement, on 06 April 2019, of Shri Justice Naresh Harishchandra Patil, present Chief Justice of Bombay High Court.“, the Notification dated March 31 reads.
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Justice Nandrajog’s transfer in its Collegium Resolution dated March 28.
The transfer was recommended in view of the impending retirement of incumbent Bombay High Court Chief Justice NH Patil next week.
Justice Nandrajog has been serving as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court since March 2017, following a transfer from the Delhi High Court.
He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Delhi University in 1981 and enrolled as an advocate the same year. He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court on December 20, 2002, and became a Permanent Judge on April 16, 2004.
In December last year, there were strong indications that Justice Nandrajog was recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court, along with current Delhi High Court Chief Justice, Rajendra Menon. Both names were said to have been recommended by the Collegium in a resolution passed on December 12, 2018.
However, in January this year, the Supreme Court Collegium decided to elevate Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dinesh Maheshwari instead, superseding Justice Nandrajog, who was senior to the two judges going by the combined seniority of High Court judges on an all-India basis.
Following this move, it was reported that Supreme Court judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul also wrote to Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi that a wrong signal would be sent if Justice Nandrajog’s seniority was disregarded in elevating other judges to the Supreme Court.
The Collegium resolution elevating Justices Khanna and Maheshwari also mentioned that some decisions were taken on December 12 last year, but the same could not be taken to its conclusion as the winter vacation intervened. Subsequently, when the Collegium met again after the court re-opened, it decided to have a fresh look at the matter.
The controversial move had also prompted former Delhi High Court judge, Justice (Retd.) Kailash Gambhir to write to the President of India objecting to the Collegium recommendations and urging him to prevent a “historical blunder”.
Read the Notification: