Mumbai: The Central Government on Tuesday issued a notification confirming Justice Alok Aradhe, currently Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, as the new Chief Justice of Bombay High Court. The notification also confirmed the transfer of Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, currently serving as Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, as the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court.
“In exercise of the power conferred by Clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Justice Alok Aradhe, Chief Justice, Telangana High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and to direct him to assume charge of the office,” the notification stated.
Aradhe, 60, began his legal career in 1988. He was appointed as an Additional Judge in the Madhya Pradesh High Court in December 2009, and as a permanent judge in February 2011. He was then transferred to the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, where he took oath as the Acting Chief Justice in 2005 and served till 2018. In 2023, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.
His transfer to the Bombay High Court is being seen as a move to strengthen judicial leadership in one of India’s busiest High Courts.
Justice Upadhyaya, who has been appointed Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, was born in 1965 and began his legal practice in 1991. His legal career was primarily centred on civil and constitutional law at the Allahabad High Court. After serving as the chief standing counsel for Uttar Pradesh from 2007 to 2011, he was appointed as judge at the Allahabad High Court in November 2011 and was elevated to permanent judge in August 2013. He served as the senior judge of the Lucknow bench before being appointed as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in July 2023.
The notification regarding the transfers was issued after the Supreme Court collegium, on January 7, recommended the appointment of Justice Upadhyaya as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and proposed the name of Justice Aradhe as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.