SC collegium recommends HC Chief Justices Aradhe, Pancholi for top court

The Supreme Court collegium on Monday recommended to the Centre, the names of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi for elevation as top court judges.

Justice Pancholi, upon becoming a top court judge, would be in line to become the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in October 2031 after Justice Joymalya Bagchi's retirement.

The five member collegium comprising CJI B R Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J K Maheshwari and B V Nagarathna met on Monday afternoon to hold deliberations.

"The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on August 25, 2025 has recommended elevation of the following chief justices of the high Ccourts, as judges in the Supreme Court: (i) Justice Alok Aradhe, Chief Justice, High Court of Bombay (PHC: High Court of Madhya Pradesh), (ii) Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, Chief Justice, High Court of Judicature at Patna, (PHC: High Court of Gujarat)," said a statement uploaded on the apex court website.

With their appointments, the apex court will regain its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges.

Born on April 13, 1964, Justice Aradhe was appointed as as additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 29, 2009 and as a permanent judge on February 15, 2011.

He was transferred to High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and took oath on September 20, 2016. He was appointed as an Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on May 11, 2018.

Justice Aradhe was transferred to the Karnataka High Court where he took oath as a judge on November 17, 2018.

He assumed charge as the Acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on July 3, 2022 and functioned there up to October 14, 2022.

He was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court on July 19, 2023 and took oath of office on July 23, 2023.

Justice Aradhe was transferred as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and assumed charge on January 21, 2025.

He was enrolled as an advocate on July 12, 1988 and practiced on civil and constitutional, arbitration and company matters in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He was designated as a senior advocate in April 2007.

Born on May 28, 1968 at Ahmedabad, Justice Pancholi was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court on October 1, 2014 and was confirmed as a permanent judge on June 10, 2016.

He was transferred to the Patna High Court and took oath as a judge there on July 24, 2023.

Justice Pancholi became the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court on July 21, 2025.

He entered the Bar in September 1991 and started practice as an advocate in the Gujarat High Court.

He was appointed as an Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor in the Gujarat High Court and served as such for seven years till March 2006.

He worked as a visiting faculty at Sir LA Shah Law College, Ahmedabad, from December 1993 for 21 years.