Hyderabad: The Supreme Court Collegium has decided to transfer chief justices, including those heading the Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha High Courts, sources said.
According to officials of the apex court, Justice Hima Kohli, who is currently serving as senior judge in the Delhi High Court, is likely to be appointed as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court. Sikkim High Court Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami is likey to be the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court while Justice Muralidhar will possibly take over as the Chief Justice of the Odisha High Court.
The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde and including Justice N.V. Ramana, is expected to meet on Thursday for finalising the transfers of chief justices. The Collegium’s recommendations will then be sent to President Ram Nath Kovind for his consent.
Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan has been serving as CJ of Telangana High Court since June 23, 2019. He has one more year of service before retirement. He is expected to be transferred as Chief Justice of Uttarakhand or another High Court.
If Justice Hima Kohli comes in as CJ of Telangana High Court, she will be the first woman Chief Justice. Justice Hima Kohli belongs to Delhi and practiced as an advocate in Delhi High Court. On May 29, 2006, she was appointed as Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court and took oath as permanent Judge on August 29, 2007. She is the senior-most Judge of the Delhi High Court.
Justice Arup Kumar Goswami, who is likely to take over as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, was appointed as the Judge of the Gauhati High Court on January 24, 2011. He took over as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court on October 15, 2019.
