Overview

• Chief Justice B. R. Gavai will administer the oath to Justices Alok Aradhe and Vipul Manubhai Pancholi at 10:30 a.m. on August 29, with the ceremony live-streamed as the court returns to its full complement of 34 judges.
• The Centre notified the elevations on August 27 and appointed Justice Shree Chandrashekhar as Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and Justice P. B. Bajanthri as Acting Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.
• Collegium member Justice B. V. Nagarathna formally dissented from Justice Pancholi’s elevation, citing seniority concerns and his 2023 transfer from Gujarat to Patna, leading to renewed calls for publication of collegium notes.
• According to media reports citing court sources, the collegium consulted Supreme Court judges Vinod Chandran and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, who served in Patna and supported Pancholi; reports also say his earlier transfer followed a complaint in which he was later cleared.
• Separately, the Centre appointed 14 advocates as Additional Judges of the Bombay High Court for two years under Article 224, lifting its working strength to 83 against a sanctioned 94.