Centre clears appointment of three additional judges in Andhra Pradesh HC

New Delhi, Oct 24 : Acting swiftly on the recommendations made by the CJI D.Y. Chandrachud-led Supreme Court Collegium, the Centre on Thursday cleared the appointment of three additional judges in Andhra Pradesh High Court.

In a post on X, Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that President Droupadi Murmu was pleased to appoint advocates R. Maheswara Rao Kuncheam @ Kuncham, Thoota Chandra Dhana Sekar @ T.C.D. Sekhar, and Challa Gunaranjan as additional judges of Andhra Pradesh HC.

Last week, the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by CJI Chandrachud, had recommended the elevation of three advocates as judges in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The recommendation for the appointment was made in May this year by the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues.

The SC Collegium said that advocate Kuncheam, who appeared/argued in 136 reported judgments, has a good practice at the Bar. "All the four consultee-Judges have given a positive opinion on the suitability of the candidate for appointment as a Judge of the High Court," it noted.

Advocate Sekhar has a practice of more than 25 years in civil, criminal, constitutional, and taxation cases with specialisation in taxation, revenue laws, land acquisition and civil law, said the apex court Collegium, adding that the inputs provided in the file indicate his professional competence to be good and nothing adverse has come to notice with regard to his integrity. In relation to advocate Gunaranjan, the SC Collegium said that he has an extensive practice which is reflected in his professional income of Rs 71.74 lakh per annum and 129 reported judgments delivered in the cases in which he argued. Further, it said: "All the four consultee-Judges have given a positive opinion on the suitability of the candidate for appointment as a Judge of the High Court. The inputs provided in the file also indicate that his professional competence is viewed to be good and that nothing adverse has come to notice with regard to his integrity."

The SC Collegium had resolved to recommend that advocates Kuncheam, Sekhar, and Gunaranjan be appointed as Andhra Pradesh High Court judges and their inter se seniority be fixed as per the existing practice