SC Reaches Full Strength with Two New Judges

• Justices Alok Aradhe and Vipul Pancholi were elevated to the Supreme Court.
• The Supreme Court has reached its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges.
• Justice B.V. Nagarathna dissented against Justice Pancholi’s appointment.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 27th Aug: Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Pancholi and Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe have been elevated as judges of the Supreme Court, the Centre announced. With their appointments, the Supreme Court has reached its sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.

The five-member Collegium, however, was not unanimous in its decision. Justice B.V. Nagarathna, a member of the Collegium, recorded a strong note of dissent against Justice Pancholi’s elevation. She contended that his appointment would be “counter-productive” to the judiciary.

Sources indicate that Justice Nagarathna’s dissent was due to concerns over Justice Pancholi’s seniority, as he is 57th in the all-India seniority list of High Court judges. She also reportedly pointed to his recent transfer from the Gujarat High Court to the Patna High Court as a factor.

The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform (CJAR) noted that Justice Nagarathna’s dissent has not been published on the Supreme Court website, despite her requesting it. The organization stated the lack of transparency in the resolution erodes public faith in the system.