BREAKING: L Victoria Gowri and four others sworn in as Madras High Court judges

Even as the Supreme Court was hearing a plea challenging her elevation, Advocate L Victoria Gowri was sworn in as an additional judge of the Madras High Court on Tuesday morning..The oath was administered by Acting Chief Justice T Raja at around 10:48 AM, while the apex court was still arguments on why Gowri should not be elevated, in light of certain problematic statements made by her in the past..The Bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sanjiv Khanna at the apex court eventually dismissed the plea, insisting that they could not sit in judgment over the Collegium's decision to recommend Gowri..The following are the five grounds on which her elevation was challenged:1. Article titled “Aggressive baptising destroying social harmony” published in RSS Publication, ‘Organiser’The petitioners have submitted that Gowri had authored an article in 2012, in which she wrote,“But not a finger is lifted to stop allured and forcible conversions and to prevent Christians from conceiving communal conflicts”, and that “for fifty years, the marginalised Hindus have been fighting the mighty Christian diocese. But now the situation is out of control.”She further wrote, “The Christian sectarianism and bigorty indulging in organised alluring conversions continuously has shrunk the majority Hindus to minorities.”2. Interview with Bharatmarg captioned “More Threat to National Security & Peace? Jihad or Christian Missionary? – Answers Victoria GowriThe petitioners have alleged that the said interview, was uploaded on YouTube in February 2018, in which Gowri said, “Like Islam is green terror, Christianity is white terror” and that “Christian groups are more dangerous than Islam groups. Both are equally dangerous in the context of love jihad… If I find my girl in Syrian terrorist camps, I have an objection and that is what I define as love jihad.”Gowri is stated to have added, “… bombing is less dangerous than the kind of conversions being adopted by the aggressive Christian theologist groups”.The petitioners further submitted that, “She makes a shocking claim that the problem going on in the North East is ‘Christian.’”3. Another Interview with Bharatmarg captioned, “Cultural genocide by Christian Missionaries in Bharat – Victoria Gowri”In the said interview, uploaded in June 2018, Gowri is alleged to have referred to the “nefarious activity of the Roman Catholics” and declared that “Bharatanatyam should not be danced for Christian songs.”4. Affiliation with Bharitiya Janata Party (BJP)The petitioners have also noted that Gowri’s affiliation to the ruling BJP is well known, since she has been the National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Mahila Morcha (the women’s wing of the BJP) and has described herself as “Chowkidar Victoria Gowri” on a now-deactivated Twitter profile.5. Collegium was not informed beforehand of controversial speeches and statementsThe petitioners have submitted that it is apparent that all relevant material concerning advocate Gowri had not been placed before the Supreme Court or Madras High Court collegia before she was recommended for appointment as a High Court Judge.“Had such material been placed, the same would have revealed her ineligibility to be appointed as a judge of a High Court,” the plea adds..The Central government on Februrary 6 had notified the appointment of five additional judges to the Madras High Court.The other four judges to take oath today were Pillaipakkam Bahukutumbi Balaji, Kandhasami Kulanthaivelu Ramakrishnan, Ramachandran Kalaimathi and Govindarajan Thilakavadi..Victoria Gowri was born on May 21, 1973 in Kanyakumari district. She enrolled as a lawyer in 1995 and practiced in civil, criminal, tax and labour matters. She has been holding the post of assistant solicitor general (ASG) representing the Union before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court since 2022.Balaji, a resident of Chennai, enrolled in 1996 and has practiced in the High Court. His father PB Ramanujam is a well known lawyer.Ramakrishnan, born in Ayyampalayam in Dindigul district, graduated from Madurai law college and enrolled in 1999. He began his practice on the criminal side and went on to become additional public prosecutor.Born in Puducherry in 1968, Kalaimathi joined the judicial service in 1995 as a civil judge before rising to the position of district judge. Before her elevation to the High Court, she was the principal district sessions judge in Salem.56-year-old Thilakavadi was recruited to the judicial service in 1995 and was promoted as district judge in 2007. She has been serving as Registrar of the principal bench of the Madras High Court since 2021..With the appointment of the five new judges, the strength of judges at the Madras High Court has risen to 57 against the sanctioned strength of 75.