Published Sep 29, 2026 | 10:57 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 29, 2026 | 10:57 AM
Telangana HC Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, Gujarat HC Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Delhi HC Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya.
Synopsis: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of Telangana Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, Gujarat Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Delhi Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya to the Supreme Court. The three judges have handled significant cases involving anti-defection, judicial independence, constitutional rights, public safety, environmental concerns and administrative accountability.
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of three Chief Justices of High Courts as judges of the top court.
Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court Aparesh Kumar Singh, Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court Sunita Agarwal and Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya have been recommended for elevation as judges of the Supreme Court.
The recommendation was made by the Collegium comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Vikram Nath, B.V. Nagarathna, M.M. Sundresh and P.S. Narasimha in a meeting held on September 28.
Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, currently the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, earlier served as the Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court. He also served as Acting Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. He has presided over numerous significant cases across the Jharkhand, Tripura, and Telangana High Courts. Recently, a division bench headed by him disqualified Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender under the anti-defection law.
Singh comes from a family of judges. According to The Print, Singh’s mother was the maternal granddaughter of the 6th Chief Justice of India, B. P. Sinha and the sister of former Supreme Court judge Shiva Kirti Singh and the cousin of former SC judge B. P. Singh.
Singh was born on July 7, 1965. He was appointed a judge of the Jharkhand High Court on January 24, 2012. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court on April 17, 2023, and was transferred as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court on July 19, 2025.
Justice Sunita Agarwal is the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court and a former judge of the Allahabad High Court.
Elevated as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2011, Justice Sunita Agarwal delivered notable rulings on a wife’s entitlement to maintenance under Section 125 of the CrPC, including a 2017 case involving allegations of dowry-related harassment and expulsion from the matrimonial home. She also served on a five-judge bench that clarified that the High Court and Sessions Court have concurrent jurisdiction to entertain anticipatory-bail applications, while a 2020 Full Bench decision involving her addressed when writ jurisdiction can be exercised based on where a cause of action arises.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, a bench headed by her ordered the release of people arrested while distributing food, stressing awareness over incarceration for lockdown violations. She became Gujarat High Court’s Chief Justice in July 2023, becoming the court’s second woman Chief Justice. Her tenure has also attracted controversy, including criticism from the Gujarat High Court Bar, which reportedly sought her transfer in 2025.
In February 2025, the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA) sought her transfer after she reassigned the roster of Justice Sandeep Bhatt, who had made critical observations about the High Court registry and alleged police overreach. Senior advocate Asim Pandya argued that such sudden roster changes could penalise judges for their judicial views and undermine judicial independence. The Bar also cited an earlier reassignment of contempt matters from another judge.
Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya was elevated to the Allahabad High Court in 2011 and later served as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court before becoming Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in January 2025.
During his tenure as a judge at the Allahabad HC, he was part of a bench that held that HIV-positive employees cannot be denied employment or promotion solely because of their HIV status, holding such discrimination contrary to Articles 14, 16 and 21.
As Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Upadhyaya oversaw PILs concerning poor road conditions and potholes in Mumbai, and initiated suo motu proceedings over marine pollution caused by plastic waste.
A Delhi HC bench headed by Justice Upadhyaya heard crucial pleas and monitored actions following a building collapse in Satya Niketan. The court held that responsibility could extend beyond the property owner to the MCD and Delhi University, directing inspections of PG hostels and action against officials responsible for regulatory lapses.
He also headed the in-house enquiry into the alleged discovery of cash from former Delhi HC judge Yashwant Varma’s official residence.
(Compiled by Fayisa CA)
