Marking First Appointments in Four Years
Three advocates from Nagpur have been appointed as Judges of the Bombay High Court, the first such appointments in nearly four years. The Supreme Court Collegium recommended nine advocates for elevation on Tuesday, including Nivedita Prakash Mehta, Prafulla Surendra Kumar Khubalkar, and Rohit Wasudeo Joshi.
They join Rajesh Sudhakar Datar, Sachin Shivajirao Deshmukh, Gautam Ashwin Ankhad, Mahendra Madhavrao Nerilkar, Ashwin Damodar Bhobe, and Advait Mahendra Sethna. The Bombay High Court Collegium forwarded the recommendations through resolutions dated January 19 and April 19, based on consultations with the Chief Justice and senior colleagues. After thorough evaluations, the Collegium confirmed their suitability for elevation, stating, “For the purpose of assessing the merit and suitability of the above candidates for elevation to the High Court, we have scrutinized and evaluated the material placed on record.”
Advocate Atul Pande, President of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) in Nagpur, welcomed the appointments as a long-awaited moment for the local legal community. He noted, “The legal fraternity of Nagpur has been waiting for this elevation for the past four years. We took up the issue at every front and advocated for the recognition of Nagpur’s talent.”
Adv Nivedita Mehta
The SC resolution stated that inputs from the Department of Justice indicate the candidate has a strong personal and professional reputation, with no adverse information regarding her integrity. Advocate Nivedita Mehta has 31 years of extensive practice in civil, constitutional, service, local and municipal, labor, and criminal laws. She served the Government of Maharashtra at the Nagpur Bench as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor from 2013 to 2023 and has continued in this role since October 2023. Her elevation to the High Court would help promote gender diversity among the judges, the resolution stated.
Adv Prafulla Khubalkar
The resolution stated that all consultee judges unanimously support Adv Khubalkar’s suitability as a Judge of the High Court. Inputs from the Department of Justice indicate he has a strong personal and professional reputation, with no adverse information regarding his integrity. With over 27 years of practice in civil, constitutional, service, and arbitration cases, his elevation will enhance representation for the Other Backward Classes in higher judiciary appointments.
Adv Rohit Joshi
Adv Joshi has over 26 years of extensive practice in civil, criminal, constitutional, labor, and service cases, reflected in 34 reported judgments, the SC resolution stated.
While there were some adverse comments regarding his limited practice, these were outweighed by the positive opinions of all consultee judges. His role representing a public sector undertaking should not hinder his recommendation. Additionally, Justice B.R. Gavai, a Collegium member, personally observed Joshi’s performance during his tenure as a High Court Judge in Nagpur. Considering all relevant factors, the Collegium concluded that the candidate is fit and suitable for appointment as a Judge of the High Court.