Centre vs Collegium row: names of recommended judges to be cleared soon, AG tells Supreme Court

The Centre on Friday assured the Supreme Court that the Collegium's recommendation of December last year for the appointment of five judges in the apex court will be cleared soon.

Attorney General R Venkataramani told a bench of justices S K Kaul and A S Oka that warrant of appointments of these five names is expected to be issued shortly.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court also expressed displeasure over the delay by the Centre in clearing recommendations for transfer of high court judges, saying "it is a very very serious issue".

"Don't make us take a stand which will be very uncomfortable," the bench told the attorney general.

The Supreme Court was hearing a matter related to the Centre's alleged delay in clearing names recommended by the Collegium for appointment as judges to the Supreme Court and high courts.

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The Supreme Court Collegium on December 13 last year recommended five judges for elevation to the apex court -- Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal, Patna High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, Manipur High Court Chief Justice P V Sanjay Kumar, Patna High Court judge Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Allahabad High Court judge Manoj Misra.

Later, on January 31, the Collegium headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud recommended to the Centre the names of Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Aravind Kumar for elevation as apex court judges. The top court, which has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges including the Chief Justice of India (CJI), is currently functioning with 27 judges.

(PTI)