New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India returned to its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges on Friday with the swearing in of Justices NV Anjaria, Vijay Bishnoi, and Atul S Chandurkar.
The oath ceremony, presided over by Chief Justice B R Gavai, was held at 10.30 am in the auditorium of the apex court’s extension building.
These appointments fill the recent vacancies that followed the retirement of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Abhay S. Oka, and Hrishikesh Roy. President Droupadi Murmu had confirmed their appointments on Thursday, based on the recommendations of the Supreme Court collegium.
As per judicial tradition, the new judges joined existing benches based on seniority. Justice Anjaria sat with CJI Gavai, Justice Bishnoi with Justice Surya Kant, and Justice Chandurkar with Justice Vikram Nath on their first day.
Profiles of the Newly Appointed Judges
Justice NV Anjaria, previously Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, hails from Gujarat. Born in 1965, he was elevated to Gujarat High Court in 2011 and became a permanent judge in 2013. He has a Master’s in Law from the University School of Law, Ahmedabad.
Justice Vijay Bishnoi, former Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, began his legal career in Jodhpur and was appointed to the Rajasthan High Court in 2013. He became a permanent judge in 2015.
Justice Atul S Chandurkar, who served at the Bombay High Court, began practicing law in 1988 and moved to Nagpur in 1992. He became an additional judge in 2013.
Their elevation brings judicial operations back to full capacity. However, Justice Bela M. Trivedi is next in line for retirement in June, having already wrapped up duties before the summer recess.
