SC Collegium Recommends ACJ Ravindra Ghuge as Calcutta High Court Chief Justice
The Supreme Court Collegium, in a resolution passed on August 6, has recommended Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge of the Bombay High Court to be appointed as the next Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. Additionally, the Collegium recommended Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi of the Allahabad High Court as the next Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. The judicial appointments will be formalised after the Central government clears them and issues official notifications.
Acting Chief Justice Ghuge was appointed to head the Bombay High Court in June after then Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar was elevated to the Supreme Court. Ghuge has served as a judge of the Bombay High Court since June 2013, dealing with matters concerning land, public health, administration, and civic issues.
During his tenure, a bench headed by ACJ Ghuge passed a significant judgment involving a long-running dispute over private land in Thane. The court upheld the private landowner's rights, dismissed the State's challenge, and directed the Thane Municipal Corporation to release statutory compensation through Development Rights Certificates (DRCs/TDR) within 21 days.
His bench also took suo motu cognisance of a doctors' strike in Maharashtra, which was subsequently called off, and issued directions to provide regular tanker water supply to villages facing malnutrition and water scarcity in Melghat. Recently, a bench led by him questioned the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration for maintaining the suspension of a hotel and restaurant licence despite a follow-up inspection showing compliance.
ACJ Ghuge has also been presiding over a three-judge bench re-hearing petitions related to the Maratha reservation issue. Hearings in that matter will need to commence for a third time once his elevation is cleared. Born in 1966, Ghuge began his practice in 1990, representing workers, unions, industries, and multinational companies before his elevation in 2013. If approved, he will succeed Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty at the Calcutta High Court.
Justice Tripathi, who has been recommended to head the Bombay High Court, is the second-senior-most judge of the Allahabad High Court. Elevated as an additional judge in 2013 and made a permanent judge in 2015, Justice Tripathi will become the 50th Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court if cleared by the Centre.
