The Central Government announced the appointment of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi as judges of the Supreme Court.
The announcement came even as Justice BV Nagarathna expressed a strong dissent regarding Justice Pancholi’s elevation, cautioning that such an appointment could prove “counter-productive” to the administration of justice and undermine the credibility of the collegium system.
Announcing the appointment on X, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint (i) Shri Justice Alok Aradhe, Chief Justice, Bombay High Court and (ii) Shri Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, Chief Justice, Patna High Court as Judges of the Supreme Court of India.”
Who is Justice Alok Aradhe?
Justice Alok Aradhe, born on April 13, 1964, began his legal career in 1988 and was designated as a senior advocate in 2007. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in December 2009 and confirmed as a Permanent Judge in February 2011. In 2016, he was transferred to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, where he briefly served as Acting Chief Justice in 2018, before moving to the Karnataka High Court later that year. He also held charge as Acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court for about three months in 2022. Justice Aradhe was elevated as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court in July 2023 and subsequently transferred as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in January 2025.
Who is Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi?
Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, born on May 28, 1968, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, completed his B.Sc. in Electronics and later obtained an LL.M. in Commercial Law from Gujarat University. Enrolled at the Bar in 1991, he served as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor in the Gujarat High Court for seven years. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court in October 2014 and became a Permanent Judge in June 2016. Justice Pancholi was transferred to the Patna High Court in July 2023 and took charge as its Chief Justice on July 21, 2025.
