CJI Gogoi’s objection forced Modi govt to rethink on naming Gujarat HC acting chief justice

CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s objections forced PM Modi-led centre to backtrack on bypassing senior-most Gujarat High Court judge for acting chief justice.

According to a report published in ThePrint, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi wrote a strongly-worded letter to PM Modi-led centre to stop a Gujarat High Court judge from being designated as the court’s acting chief justice.

The CJI’s letter was sent on 2 November and was addressed to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. In his letter, CJI Gogoi took exception to the Centre’s “highly arbitrary decision” in designating Justice Dave — number two in seniority among puisne judges of the Gujarat High Court — as the acting chief justice.

Acting swiftly on the issue, centre issued a new notification and Justice Kureshi was made the acting chief justice. A special messenger was also sent by the government to deliver the new notification to the office of the CJI.

Notably, the judge the Modi government had backed — Justice Anantkumar S. Dave — was the second senior-most judge in the high court after Justice A.A. Kureshi. In the process, the Centre had ignored Justice Kureshi, the senior-most judge, whose transfer to Bombay High Court has been notified.

However, the transfer of Justice Kureshi to the Bombay High Court has attracted controversy, with lawyers in the Gujarat High Court going on an indefinite strike on Friday in protest against the Supreme Court collegium’s decision to transfer him.

Importantly, the post of chief justice in the Gujarat High Court fell vacant as Justice R. Subhash Reddy, was elevated to the Supreme Court last week.

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