Justice Alok Aradhe becomes SC judge after 7-month stint as Bombay HC Chief Justice

On the same day, the Centre issued a notification appointing Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, the seniormost puisne judge at the Bombay High Court, as its acting Chief Justice. The Supreme Court collegium has also recommended the name of Justice Chandrashekhar, who earlier worked as a judge of the Jharkhand High Court, as the 49th head of the Bombay High Court and the same is awaiting the Centre’s approval.

In January this year, Justice Aradhe succeeded Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, who was transferred as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Justice Aradhe, who served as judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the acting Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka High Courts, and the Chief Justice of the Karnataka and Bombay High Courts, will retire as a Supreme Court judge on April 12, 2029.

Soon after he became the head of the Bombay High Court, Justice Aradhe had directed the authorities to ensure that guidelines banning the use of idols made of Plaster of Paris and their immersion were strictly followed. Later, a bench led by him quashed the notice that terminated the contract awarded to French-origin company, Systra MVA Consulting (India) Pvt Ltd, for consultancy services for Metro lines in Mumbai.

In March, Chief Justice Aradhe directed the Maharashtra government to notify rules to regulate public meetings and agitations in Mumbai and also pulled up authorities for sitting tight over height norms violations of structures in the vicinity of the Mumbai airport, endangering the lives of passengers.

Justice Aradhe-led benches also disposed of several PILs and long-pending petitions in seven months.

In April this year, he ordered the Maharashtra government to put in place a mechanism for the retrieval of ‘living will’ documents and also directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to ensure installation of pollution indicators at construction sites.

In June, he ordered a fresh probe into an alleged party hosted on New Year’s Eve in 2012 at a home for children with special needs in Mumbai and also initiated a suo motu PIL raising concerns over the lack of electric crematoriums for pets in Mumbai.

In July, a bench led by him upheld a decision to build a “passenger jetty and construction facilities” in the sea near the Gateway of India and also dismissed a PIL by a lawyer against the acquisition of salt pan land for rehabilitation under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. He also directed that Ganesh idols made of PoP and those less than 6 feet in height shall be mandatorily immersed in artificial water tanks.

On August 1, Chief Justice Aradhe issued a notification to constitute a circuit bench of the high court at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra. Besides questioning the right of the Jain community to seek closure of slaughterhouses for the entire period of Paryushan festival, the Chief Justice Aradhe-led bench also upheld the majority award of the arbitral tribunal directing authorities to pay Rs 303 crore to FA Enterprises, a private firm, towards unpaid bills for the construction of Balganga dam.

Justice Shree Chandrashekhar’s recommendation awaits Centre’s nod

On August 27, the Centre issued a notification appointing Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, the seniormost puisne judge at the Bombay High Court, as its acting Chief Justice. The Supreme Court collegium has also recommended the name of Justice Chandrashekhar, who earlier worked as a judge of the Jharkhand High Court, as the 49th head of the Bombay High Court and the same is awaiting the Centre’s approval.

Justice Chandrashekhar was appointed as the additional judge of the Jharkhand High Court on January 17, 2013, and was made a permanent judge on June 27, 2014. He was made acting Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court in December 2023 and was transferred as a Bombay High Court judge on July 14 this year.

Born on May 25, 1965, in Ranchi, Justice Chandrashekhar completed his LLB from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, in 1993 and was enrolled as an advocate in Delhi in December 1993. He practised civil and criminal matters for nearly 19 years, across various courts, including the Supreme Court, and appeared for the government as well as private entities.

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