New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) The Supreme Court will conduct a hearing on a plea challenging the delay in the elevation of Justice Akil Kureshi as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in the first week of August.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the matter concerning Justice Kureshi’a elevation was still under consideration and sought two weeks time to place the Centre’s response before the court.
Senior Advocate F.S. Nariman, appearing for the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association, said the Union government should act as “distinguished communicator” on the recommendation made by the collegium.
Nariman submitted before the court to let the Centre clarify if it has sought the views of the Madhya Pradesh government on the matter. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has posted the matter for further hearing on August 2.
In the earlier hearing, the court had asked the petitioner Gujarat High Court Advocates Association to supply a copy of the petition to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for assisting in the matter.
The advocates association said the government had not cleared the file for the appointment of Justice Kureshi as the Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice.
On May 10, the Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had recommended Justice Kureshi, currently the senior most judge in the Gujarat High Court, as the most suitable candidate to be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Disregarding the recommendations of the Supreme Court collegium, the Centre notified the appointment of Ravi Shanker Jha as the acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court last month after Justice Sanjay Kumar Seth retired on June 9.
The association has requested the court to direct the Centre to implement the collegium’s resolution of May 10.
–IANS
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