Will take call on Justice Kureshi’s elevation in a week: Centre to SC

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 16

More than three months after the Supreme Court Collegium recommended appointment of Justice Akil A Kureshi as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, there is no clarity on his elevation.

The Centre on Friday told a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi that it would take a call within a week on Justice Kureshi’s elevation as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court.

“I have instruction that within a week some decisions will be taken in this regard,” said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, requesting the Bench that the matter should be taken up after a week as the government was examining the files sent by the collegium.

Acting on the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association’s plea, the top court had on August 2 asked the Centre to take a decision on Justice Kureshi by August 14 after Mehta said the Collegium’s recommendation was under consideration.

The association accused the Centre of deliberately sitting over the Collegium’s recommendation to appoint Justice Kureshi of the Bombay High Court as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh HC. The Centre cleared the appointment of Chief Justices of other high courts, the recommendation of which was made by the SC Collegium before the summer vacation, but Justice Kureshi’s matter hangs fire.