Six New Judges Sworn In at Delhi High Court, Strength Rises to 40

The Delhi High Court welcomed six new judges on Monday, increasing its strength to 40 out of a sanctioned capacity of 60. Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya administered the oath of office to Justices V Kameswar Rao, Nitin Wasudeo Sambre, Vivek Chaudhary, Anil Kshetrapal, Arun Kumar Monga, and Om Prakash Shukla during a ceremony at the court premises.

Justice Chaudhary took the oath in Hindi, while the others swore in English. The judges were transferred from various high courts: Justice Sambre from Bombay, Justices Chaudhary and Shukla from Allahabad, Justice Kshetrapal from Punjab and Haryana, Justice Monga from Rajasthan, and Justice Rao, repatriated from Karnataka. The transfers were notified by the Central government on July 14, following recommendations from the Supreme Court collegium.

The appointments come amid a reshuffle that saw Justice Vibhu Bakhru, the court’s senior-most judge, elevated as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on July 16. This necessitated a reconstitution of the Delhi High Court’s three-member collegium, previously comprising Chief Justice Upadhyaya, Justice Bakhru, and Justice Prathiba M Singh. The new collegium now includes Chief Justice Upadhyaya, Justices Rao, and Sambre, based on their seniority.

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The induction of these judges is expected to strengthen the court’s capacity to address its caseload, as it continues to operate below its full strength of 60 judges.

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