Collegium recommends Delhi HC Chief Justice, 2 others as Supreme Court judges

Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya has been recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court, with the Supreme Court Collegium on Monday recommending three High Court chief justices for appointment as judges of the top court.

Justice Upadhyaya, who began his legal and judicial career in Lucknow, is the second legal practitioner from the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench to be elevated to the Supreme Court in the last 25 years. He served for more than 11 years as a judge of the Lucknow bench before becoming a chief justice.

Advocate Ritika Singh Sisodiya said, "Justice Upadhyaya is only the second legal practitioner of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court to be elevated as a Supreme Court judge in the last 25 years. Before him, it was only Justice Brijesh Kumar who was elevated as a Supreme Court judge in 2000."

According to the Delhi High Court's website, Justice Upadhyaya was born on June 16, 1965, in Muskarai village of Ambedkar Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh. He completed his law degree from Lucknow University in 1991 and enrolled as an advocate on May 11, 1991.

He began his legal career in the chambers of his father, RA Upadhyaya, who practised before the Board of Revenue. He also worked with senior advocates Mohammad Arif Khan and SK Kalia. He primarily practised in civil and constitutional matters at the Lucknow bench.

In May 2007, Justice Upadhyaya was appointed Uttar Pradesh's Chief Standing Counsel, a post he held until his elevation to the High Court bench in November 2011. He was appointed a judge of the Allahabad High Court on November 21, 2011, and later became the senior judge of the Lucknow bench on March 28, 2023.

He was then appointed Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and took oath on July 29, 2023. In January 2025, the Union government notified his transfer as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, and he took the oath of office on January 21, 2025, the website said.

The three judges recommended by the Collegium are Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Telangana High Court Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh.

The Collegium comprised Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant and Justices Vikram Nath, BV Nagarathna, MM Sundresh and P S Narasimha. The recommendation will now be processed in accordance with the established procedure for appointment of judges to the Supreme Court.- Ends