The Centre has constituted three new High Courts in the northeast — Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura — taking the total number of High Courts in the country from 21 to 24.
According to Law Ministry sources, the strength of judges in each High Court will be as follows: Tripura 4 (including the Chief Justice), and Meghalaya and Manipur: three each (including the Chief Justice).
As per the recommendations of the Supreme Court collegium, Justice T. Meenakumari, judge of the Patna High Court, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, is being elevated as Chief Justice of Meghalaya. Justice Deepak Gupta, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, is being elevated as Chief Justice of Tripura, and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court, is being appointed CJ of Manipur.
The sources said recommendations had been received for the transfer of Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal, judge of the Allahabad High Court to the Madras High Court. Once transferred, he would become acting Chief Justice by virtue of his seniority, said the sources. Justice S. Nagappan, judge of the Madras High Court, is being elevated as Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court and Justice D.H. Waghela, judge of the Gujarat High Court, is being appointed Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
