Centre clears extension of 9 additional judges' term in Calcutta HC

New Delhi: Pursuant to the recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium, the Centre on Monday extended the term of nine additional judges of the Calcutta High Court for a year.

In a post on X, Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that President Droupadi Murmu, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, was pleased to appoint Justices Biswaroop Chowdhury, Partha Sarathi Sen, Prasenjit Biswas, Uday Kumar, Ajay Kumar Gupta, Supratim Bhattacharya, Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, Apurba Sinha Ray, and Md. Shabbar Rashidi as additional judges of Calcutta HC for a year with effect from August 31.

On July 25, the Supreme Court Collegium, after scrutinising and evaluating the material placed on record and having considered all aspects of the matter, found that these additional judges deserve a fresh term of one year.

The SC Collegium said that it consulted other judges of the apex court who are conversant with the affairs of the Calcutta HC to ascertain their suitability, adding that the committee of two judges of the Supreme Court, constituted by the CJI, assessed the judgments of these additional judges.

"The Chief Minister and the Governor of the State of West Bengal have not conveyed their views on the above recommendation. The Department of Justice has forwarded the above recommendation by invoking Para 14 of the Memorandum of Procedure which provides that if the comments of the Constitutional authorities in the State are not received within the prescribed time frame, it should be presumed by the Minister of Law and Justice that the Governor and the Chief Minister have nothing to add to the proposal and proceed accordingly," said a statement released on the website of the apex court,