New Delhi, July 13 (FN Bureau) President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday appointed Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and SV Bhatti as judges of the Supreme Court, taking its strength, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI), to 32. The sanctioned strength of the apex judiciary is 34. It is to be noted that the Supreme Court collegium had on July recommended the elevation of the two judges to the top judiciary. Justice Bhuyan is currently serving as the Chief justice of the Telangana High Court, whereas Justice Bhatti is the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court. The five-member collegium in the Supreme Court, which recommended the names of the two judges for elevation to the apex court were; the CJI Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chadrachud, and four other seniormost judges — Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai and Surya Kant.
In another related development, the Supreme Court Collegium during the day again recommended the transfer of three High Court judges, and rejected their individual requests to continue at their parent High Court or be transferred to neighbouring States of their choice. In its resolutions, the SC Collegium said it found no merit in the requests of the three judges. The three judges who have been recommended for transfer are Justice Manoj Bajaj of the Punjab & Haryana High Court to Allahabad High Court; Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh of the Allahabad High Court to Kerala High Court; and Justice Gaurang Kanth of the Delhi High Court to Calcutta High Court. On July 5, the SC Collegium had proposed the three judges’ transfers for ‘better administration of justice’. The same was reiterated on July 12.