The collegium of the Supreme Court on Monday recommended a height of height to the top court of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Arade and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul M. Pancholi, Justice BV Nagrathana recorded a strong note of dissatisfaction against the appointment of Nyaya Pancholi and underlined that his appointment is not only as a “counter-transactive”, not only for the administration of the Justice, but it would not be a matter of administration of Justice. There will also be no “counter-generating”. His note referred to the conditions of his transfer from Gujarat High Court to Patna High Court.
The five-member collegium, which included India’s Chief Justice Bhushan R Gawai and Justice Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, JK Maheshwari and Nagarthana, took decisions with 4–1 partitions on Nyaya Pancholi, as the only woman judge in the apex court issued a rare detailed dissatisfaction protesting her height.
Also read: Collegium recommended Justice Arade, Pancholi for height in Supreme Court
According to the people aware of the case, the note of Justice Nagratna detected his disagreement till May when the idea of ​​elevating Justice Pancholi was first broke and he expressed his reservation with another member of the collegium. Against that background, Justice NV Anjaria was carried forward from Pancholi in May – both because he was senior to Justice Pancholi in the Gujarat High Court and also represented the Supreme Court after the June retirement of Justice Bela M Trivedi by the Gujarat High Court. Believing Pancholi’s proposal, Justice Nagrathana surprised him when it emerged again within three months, inspiring a written dissatisfaction.
Spotting on the transfer of Justice Pancholi from the Gujarat High Court to Patna High Court on July 2023, the note reported that it was not a regular step, but due to the discussion at the highest levels. It was noted that many judges had sought opinion, all of which agreed with their transfer, and Justice Nagrathana urged that confidential minutes to reduce the transfer of 2023 should be called and used.
One of the above persons said that the note of Justice Nagratna referred to All-India Seniority, stating that Justice Pancholi is ranked 57th among the nationwide High Court judges. In his assessment, many meritorious and more senior judges in the High Courts can be considered ahead of them.
“In addition, the note marked the green representation-the Gujarat High Court already slate Justice JB Pardwala (which has been slated to be a CJI between May 2028 and August 2030) and NV Anjaria according to the same High Court, according to the same High Court, whenever according to the High Court, whenever the High Court,” According to the High Court.
According to the other person, his note warned that extending the Nyaya Pancholi despite these concerns will be an advocate for the administration of justice and “whatever the collegium system still keeps the credibility will be at risk”. The note was underlined that now the option taken would take pre -elegance for a long time how the court is administered and considered.
The note of Justice Nagrathana recorded that if Justice Pancholi is now appointed, it would be in queue to become CJI for about one year and eight months from October 2031 to May 2033. In his view, this result will not be in the interest of the institution and has shocked many concerns.
As the integrity of the process, Justice Nagrathana further urged that his dissatisfaction note has been uploaded on the Supreme Court website, which lines the recent reasons of the court to publish the reasons for the collegium and promote transparent decisions.
The dissatisfaction of Justice Nagrathana also lands against a Stark backdrop. With the retirement of Justice Bela M Trivedi on 9 June, Justice Nagrathana remains the only woman judge in the Supreme Court. Since then, three appointments have been made and two more are now recommended; There is no woman.
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Born in 1964, Justice Arade has worked in several high courts in his judicial career. He was nominated as a senior advocate in April 2007 in April 2007, while practicing citizens, constitutional, arbitration and company matters before the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur. He started his judicial career as an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in December 2009 and became a permanent judge in February 2011. He included Jamir and Kashir. In November 2018, he was transferred to the Karnataka High Court, later served as his acting Chief Justice between July and October 2022. In July 2023, he was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, and in January 2025, he was transferred as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
Justice Pancholi was born in May 1968 in Ahmedabad. He enrolled as a lawyer in September 1991, in which his practice began in the Gujarat High Court. He served as Assistant Government Petitioners and Additional Public Prosecutor for seven years till March 2006. In October 2014, he was elevated as an additional judge of the Gujarat High Court and confirmed as a permanent judge in June 2016. After nearly a decade in Gujarat, he was shifted to the Patna High Court in July 2023, where he took a judge as a judge. He was appointed Chief Justice of Patna High Court in July 2025.
