Justice Kureshi Elevation : Centre Seeks Time To Complete 'Administrative Formalities'; SC To Hear On Nov 7

The Centre on Monday sought one week's adjournment of the hearing in the petition filed by Gujarat High Court Advocates Association in connection with Justice Akhil Kureshi's elevation.

On being prodded by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that a few administrative modalities were taking time and prayed for the matter to be adjourned to November 11.

Objecting to the request, Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, for the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association, urged that the bench take up this issue of effecting the Collegium's recommendation on Friday itself as the government has already been granted a lot of time.

The matter will now be heard on Thursday.

Justice Kureshi's elevation had become a subject of controversy after the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, alleging Central Government of selectively blocking his elevation due to extraneous considerations. While hearing the petition, the SC had said on September 16 that a decision has been taken on the Justice Kureshi's elevation and that it will be published soon.

Later, the SC published the Collegium resolution taken on September 5, which modified the earlier proposal to elevate Justice Kureshi as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. Based on communications from the Department of Justice, which were not disclosed, the Collegium made a modified proposal to elevate Justice Kureshi as the CJ of Tripura High Court.

Following this, the Collegium on October 15 made the recommendation to transfer the Chief Justice of Tripura HC, Justice Sanjay Karol to Patna High Court.  

On October 30, the Centre notified the transfer of Justice Sanjay Karol to Patna HC.