Centre clears elevation of justices Aradhe, Pancholi to SC

New Delhi: The Centre has cleared the elevation of Bombay High Court chief justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court chief justice Vipul Pancholi to the Supreme Court, law minister Arjun Meghwal announced on X on Wednesday.

SC, which has a sanctioned strength of 34, is currently functioning with 32 judges. With the elevation of the duo, the top court will function at its full strength.

The Supreme Court collegium comprising CJI BR Gavai and justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, JK Maheshwari and BV Nagarathna had on Monday recommended the elevation of the two high court chief justices.


Justice Nagarathna, however, had strongly dissented on the proposal to elevate justice Pancholi.

Justice Aradhe was appointed an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh HC in 2009 and made permanent in 2011. He was appointed CJ of the Telangana HC in July 2023 and was transferred to the Bombay HC as its chief justice in January 2025.

Justice Pancholi joined the bar in September 1991 and started practice as an advocate in the Gujarat HC. He was elevated as an additional judge of the HC on October 1, 2014, and confirmed as permanent judge on June 10, 2016. His transfer to the Patna HC in 2023 was strongly opposed by the Gujarat HC Advocates' Association. In a communication to the then CJI, GHCAA had said that justice Pancholi imbibes the qualities that a good judge should have. The transfer was carried out despite opposition.