Six Judges sworn in at Delhi High Court, total strength now 40

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya on Monday administered the oath of office to the newly transferred judges in a formal swearing-in ceremony held at the High Court premises.

The six judges–Justice V. Kameswar Rao, Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre, Justice Vivek Chaudhary, Justice Anil Kshetarpal, Justice Arun Kumar Monga, and Justice Om Prakash Shukla–have been transferred from various High Courts across the country.

Their appointments take the working strength of the Delhi High Court to 40, against a sanctioned strength of 60.

The oath-taking ceremony was attended by several sitting judges of the Delhi High Court, family members of the newly appointed judges, and senior office bearers of the Delhi High Court Bar Association and other Lawyers.

The transfers were notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice last week, following the recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on May 26.

Justice V Kameswar Rao returns to the Delhi High Court from the Karnataka High Court, marking a homecoming after nearly a year. He had earlier served over 11 years on the Delhi bench before his transfer in May 2024. His repatriation comes shortly after the elevation of Justice Vibhu Bakhru, the court’s senior-most judge, as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.

Justice Arun Monga, transferred from the Rajasthan High Court, brings decades of legal experience. Having begun his legal journey in Chandigarh in 1991, he later practised in Delhi for over 20 years. He served as a judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court before his shift to Rajasthan in late 2023.

Justice Vivek Chaudhary comes from the Allahabad High Court. A graduate of Meerut University, he has extensive experience in civil and constitutional law and has served as a judge since 2017.

Justice Anil Kshetarpal, also originally from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, began his legal practice in Kurukshetra. He later honed his skills under the mentorship of former Chief Justice V K Bali.

Justice Om Prakash Shukla, another transfer from the Allahabad High Court, joined the bench earlier this year in March 2024, following two decades of practice in constitutional and service matters.

Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre brings with him a wealth of legal acumen from the Bombay High Court. A law graduate from Nagpur, he began his practice under former Chief Justice of India, Sharad A. Bobde. His elevation to the Bombay High Court bench came in 2014.

The swearing-in of these six judges is expected to ease the judicial workload and improve case disposal rates in the national capital. The Delhi High Court has been functioning with a significantly reduced bench in recent years, often grappling with a rising number of pending cases. (ANI)