Merit and Seniority Ignored? High Court Judges' Plea in Supreme Court

Senior district and sessions judges, Chirag Bhanu Singh and Arvind Malhotra, have alleged that their merit and seniority were overlooked by the Himachal Pradesh High Court's collegium while considering judgeship appointments. The Supreme Court has now received a report in a sealed cover on the matter.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has submitted a report in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court in response to allegations made by senior district and sessions judges Chirag Bhanu Singh and Arvind Malhotra. The judges claim their merit and seniority were disregarded in the high court's collegium selection process for judgeship.

The report, provided by the high court's registrar general, comes after the Supreme Court had sought clarification from the Himachal Pradesh High Court regarding the selection procedures. According to sources, the high court did not receive feedback from the Supreme Court collegium on the matter even after an extended period of six months.

The petitioners, Singh and Malhotra, argue that less senior judicial officers were recommended ahead of them, despite their unblemished records. The Supreme Court has asked for further submissions and set the next hearing date for July 23.