Delhi high court: Three new judges take oath, bench strength now at 44

The oath to the three judges — justices Dinesh Mehta, Avneesh Jhingan and Chandrasekharan Sudha — was administered by high court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay.

Three new judges took oath at the Delhi high court on Tuesday, taking the court’s bench strength to 44 as opposed to the sanctioned 60.

Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha (left) takes oath as a judge at the Delhi high court. (HT Photo)

The oath to the three judges — justices Dinesh Mehta, Avneesh Jhingan and Chandrasekharan Sudha — was administered by high court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay.

The transfer of the judges — justices Mehta and Jhingan from Rajasthan HC and justice Sudha from Kerala HC — was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, during meetings held on August 25 and 26. Their transfers were notified by the government on October 14.

Their addition marks the third major reshuffle at the court, with the first in March, when justice Yashwant Varma was transferred to the Allahabad high court after a huge amount of cash was allegedly recovered from his residence. The second change followed in July, involving the transfer of six judges from various high courts to Delhi.

The influx of judges from outside Delhi would again shift the court’s seniority hierarchy and reshape its judicial composition. Justice Mehta, who was elevated as a judge of the Rajasthan high court in November 2016, is now the fourth most senior judge at the Delhi HC.

It also means that the Delhi high court has the highest number of judges from outside the national capital, with nine such appointments.