Patna HC gets seven new judges, one returns from Andhra

The Patna high court has got seven new judges, while one judge has been transferred back here form Andhra Pradesh high court.

The Patna high court has got seven new judges, while one judge has been transferred back here form Andhra Pradesh high court.

The Patna high court. (HT Photo)

With this, the number of judges has gone up from 27 to 35 at the Patna HC, which has a sanctioned strength of 53.

“... the President is pleased to appoint Shailendra Singh, Arun Kumar Jha, Jitendra Kumar, Alok Kumar Pandey, Sunil Dutta Mishra, Chandra Prakash Singh and Chandra Shekhar Jha, to be Judges of the Patna High Court, in that order of seniority, with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices,” said a notification issued by union ministry of law and justice on Wednesday.

Besides, Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, has been directed to assume charge in the Patna high court, where he had been serving earlier.

The Supreme Court collegium had, on May 4, recommended the names of seven judges to the Centre. Under the incumbent Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, it is the third occasion when the Patna HC has got new judges and the current strength is the highest in recent years.

A year ago, the court was left with just 17 judges, less than one-third of the sanctioned strength. However, the court got eight new judges in September last year. Four more were later transferred to the Patna HC.