The Supreme Court Collegium in an assertion said that in its gathering it supported the proposition for the rise of seven backers as judges of the Gujarat High Court.
The seven include two women — Mauna Bhatt and Nisha Thakore — wherein the latter serves as assistant government pleader for Gujarat at the High Court at present while Bhatt serves as senior standing counsel for the income tax department in Gujarat at the High Court.
Among the other proposed names are Samir J Dave, Niral Rashmikant Mehta and Sandeep N Bhatt.
Meanwhile, Hemant M Prachchhak, who has held positions as assistant government pleader for Gujarat and was also appointed as Central government counsel for Gujarat High Court by the Ministry of Law in 2015 for a period of three years, and advocate-on-record at the Supreme Court for the state of Gujarat Aniruddha P Mayee, too have been approved for elevation.
Gujarat High Court currently has 25 judges of the sanctioned strength of 52. Among the 52, 39 are permanent positions and 13 are additional positions. All additional positions as well as 14 permanent positions are vacant at present.
