Indira Banerjee to be next CJ of Madras High Court

New Delhi: Justice Indira Banerjee of the Delhi high court will be the next Chief Justice of the Madras high court as per the recommendations of the collegium of judges headed by the Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar. She will succeed Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, who has been elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court and her appointment is expected to be made by the President of India within a fortnight.

During the second week of February the collegium had recommended Justice H.G. Ramesh of Karnataka High Court to be the Chief Justice of Madras HC.

Even as this recommendation was under process with the Union law ministry, Justice Ramesh refused to accept the post as he was reportedly upset that his junior Justice S. Abdul Nazeer of Karnataka HC superseded him to be appointed to the Supreme Court.

According to informed sources, Justice Ramesh is understood to have written a letter to the CJI J.S. Khehar questioning the elevation of Justice Nazeer even before he became a High Court Chief Justice. Declining to accept the offer, he told the CJI that the Constitution did not provide for reservation in judiciary on the basis of religion or caste in the matter of appointment of judges to the high court and Supreme Court.

Following the refusal of Justice Ramesh, the collegium recommended that Justice Indira Banerjee of the Delhi high court to be the next chief justice of the Madras high court and her elevation is under process, sources added.