Five new judges appointed to two HCs

New Delhi: Moving ahead with filling up vacancies in the higher judiciary, five new judges were today appointed to two high courts.

Three judges from two high courts have also been transferred.

Separate Law Ministry notifications said Sanjay Agarwal, Rajendra Chandra Singh Samanth and Anil Kumar Shukla have been appointed additional judges to the Chhattisgarh High Court.

Shiva Nand Pathak and Rajesh Shankar have been appointed additional judges to the Jharkhand High Court.

Justice Songkhupchung Serto, an additional judge in the Manipur High Court, has been transferred to the Gauhati High Court.

Justices Jaishree Thakur and Anupinder Singh Grewal have been sent back to the Punjab and Haryana High Court from the Rajasthan High Court.

The Supreme Court collegium had in July recommended transfer of Thakur and Grewal from Rajasthan back to the Punjab and Haryana High Court after the Centre said it is not advisable to have several judges from the same high court in another high court.

Justices Jaishree Thakur and Anupinder Singh Grewal were transferred to Rajasthan from the Punjab and Haryana High Court soon after they were elevated as judges from the bar. After their transfers, the number of judges from the Punjab and Haryana High Court posted at the Rajasthan High Court had risen to five.

Sources in the government said a few months back the Centre had told the SC collegium that it is not advisable to have so many judges from one court posted at another high court.