New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium on Thursday recommended the appointment of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur as Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.
Justice Thakur, whose parent High Court is the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, has been a judge of the Bombay High Court since June 10, 2022.
“The office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur has fallen vacant recently consequent upon the elevation of Justice P V Sanjay Kumar to the Supreme Court of India. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made,” the Collegium said. “Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur is the senior most judge of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh. He was appointed on March 8, 2013, and has been functioning, on transfer, as a Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay since June 10, 2022.”
The High Court of J&K and Ladakh does not have representation among the Chief Justices of the High Courts since the retirement of Justice A M Magrey, it said.
“Over a long period of time no judge of J&K origin has been elevated as Chief Justice of a High Court or as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India,” it said. “In terms of the Memorandum of Procedure, consultation was held with consultee-judge(s) on the suitability of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur for appointment as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur. The consultee-judge(s) have concurred with the proposal for the appointment of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur.”
Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium said that it was of the considered view that Justice Thakur was fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur.
“The Collegium, therefore, resolves to recommend the appointment of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur,” the Collegium said.
Justice Thakur is the brother of former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur.