In a significant move concerning the higher judiciary, the Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, has recommended the transfer or repatriation of 21 High Court judges. The decision, made during a meeting held on May 26, 2025, aims to enhance judicial administration and maintain institutional balance across various High Courts in the country.
The recommendations involve a mix of transfers from one High Court to another, as well as the repatriation of judges back to their parent High Courts. Among the notable recommendations is the transfer of Justice Sujoy Paul from the Telangana High Court to the Calcutta High Court; Justice Paul's parent High Court is Madhya Pradesh. Similarly, Justice Lanusungkum Jamir has been recommended for transfer from the Gauhati High Court to the Calcutta High Court. Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak is slated to move from the Gauhati High Court to the Orissa High Court.
Several judges are being moved to the Delhi High Court. Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre is recommended for transfer from the Bombay High Court to Delhi. Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra from Allahabad High Court is recommended to be transferred to Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice Vivek Chaudhary from the Allahabad High Court and Justice Om Prakash Shukla, also from the Allahabad High Court, have been recommended for transfer to the Delhi High Court. Additionally, Justice Anil Kshetarpal from the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Justice Arun Kumar Monga from the Rajasthan High Court are also on the list for transfer to Delhi.
Other significant transfers include Justice Suman Shyam from the Gauhati High Court to the Bombay High Court, Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh from the Kerala High Court to the Karnataka High Court, and Justice Vivek Kumar Singh from the Madras High Court to the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
In terms of repatriation, Justice V. Kameswar Rao has been recommended to be transferred back to Delhi High Court from Karnataka High Court; Justice Rao's parent High Court is Delhi. Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma is slated to return to the Rajasthan High Court from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while Justice Battu Devanand is recommended to be transferred back to Andhra Pradesh from Madras High Court; Justice Devanand's parent High Court is Andhra Pradesh. Justice Sudhir Singh has been recommended to be transferred back to Patna from Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice Singh's parent High Court is Patna. Justice Shree Chandrashekhar from Rajasthan High Court is to be transferred to Bombay High Court; Justice Chandrashekhar's parent High Court is Jharkhand.
Rounding out the list, Justice Jayant Banerji from the Allahabad High Court is recommended for transfer to the Karnataka High Court. Justice C. Sumalatha is recommended to be transferred back to Telangana High Court from Karnataka; Justice Sumalatha's parent High Court is Telangana, Justice Lalitha Kanneganti from Karnataka is to be transferred to Telangana; Justice Kanneganti's parent High Court is A.P., and Justice Annireddy Abhishek Reddy has been recommended to be transferred back to Telangana from Patna High Court.
This large-scale reshuffling within the higher judiciary is expected to have a wide-ranging impact on the functioning of the High Courts involved. The transfers and repatriations are likely aimed at addressing regional imbalances, leveraging the experience of judges in different jurisdictions, and ensuring a more efficient administration of justice.
