The Supreme Court Collegium on Monday recommended the elevation of the current chief justices of the Gujarat, Delhi, and Telangana high courts as judges of the Supreme Court.
The recommendation to elevate Justice Agarwal is especially significant given that she had some very public differences with the Gujarat High Court Bar during her tenure as Chief Justice. The resolution at the time was after a heated exchange between the Chief Justice and GHCAA president Brijesh Trivedi during a hearing. The association had also objected to changes in the roster and other administrative decisions. Justice Agarwal subsequently went on leave for two weeks, with Justice BA Vaishnav performing the duties of Chief Justice during her absence. The Collegium has now recommended Justice Agarwal be elevated to the Supreme Court despite that history.
The three judges, whose names were recommended following the Collegium’s meeting on September 28, are Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Telangana High Court Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh. The Supreme Court currently has 34 judges against an approved strength of 38. In February 2025, the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA) passed a resolution seeking her transfer, citing concerns over courtroom and administrative issues. In October 2025, the GHCAA again wrote to then Chief Justice of India BR Gavai seeking Justice Agarwal’s transfer, this time citing difficulties allegedly caused by instructions governing corrections and interpolations in court filings and the resulting delays in the registry.
The association said the problems had particularly affected lawyers and litigants, including junior members of the Bar.
