Law Ministry Letter To Elevate Justice Kureshi As MP HC Chief Justice To Be Placed Before Collegium Soon: CJI Gogoi

Chief Justice of India Justice Ranjan Gogoi has told the counsel of the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA) that he has received a Ministry of Law and Justice communication regarding elevation of Justice Akil Kureshi.

CJI Gogoi stated that the ministry communication which he received on August 27 regarding the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation to elevate Justice Akil Kureshi as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, will be placed before the Collegium soon.

It may be recalled that the GHCAA had filed a petition in the Supreme Court recently to direct the Centre to notify the appointment of Justice Kureshi as CJ of MP HC immediately.

The GHCAA petition had highlighted the central government’s “selective neglect” of Justice Kureshi's file, by pointing out that the centre had cleared 18 files of judicial appointments after May 10.

The petition had stated that although another proposal made by the Sureme Court Collegium on the same day (May 10) which is Justice D N Patel's appointment as Delhi High Court Chief Justice, was notified by the centre within two weeks, Justice Kureshi's file was kept pending.

It had highlighted that in the meantime, the centre also notified the appointment of Justice Ravi Shanker Jha as Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on June 7, ignoring Justice Kureshi’s file.

The petition had alleged that the centre was sleeping over the Supreme Court Collegium's proposal to make Justice Kureshi the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Originally, the Supreme Court Collegium had made the proposal to elevate Justice Kureshi on May 10 after a vacancy arose due to the retirement of the former Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh, Justice S K Seth.

After it became obvious to the GHCAA that the centre was sitting on Justice Kureshi’s file, the body passed a resolution on June 25, approving a decision to approach the Supreme Court through a writ petition to challenge what it believed to be “purposeful holding back” of approval of Justice Kureshi's elevation.

The resolution came almost immediate after GCHAA President Senior Advocate Yatin Oza told its members that Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was not willing to meet a GHCAA delegation to discuss the subject.