Srinagar, May 27: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of Chief Justice Arun Palli of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court as a Judge of the Supreme Court, superseding Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia. Both judges belong to the parent Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The recommendation was made during the Collegium meetings held on May 22 and May 27, 2026, wherein five names were cleared for appointment as Judges of the apex court.
Justice Arun Palli, currently serving as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, was earlier elevated from the Punjab and Haryana High Court and took oath as Chief Justice of the J&K and Ladakh High Court in April 2025.
The Collegium’s recommendation assumes significance as Justice Palli has been preferred over Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, despite both tracing their parent High Court to Punjab and Haryana.
With Justice Palli’s proposed elevation, the representation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the Supreme Court is set to increase further. At present, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice A.G. Masih also hail from the same High Court.
Apart from Justice Arun Palli, the Collegium has also recommended the names of Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of Bombay High Court; Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court; and senior advocate V. Mohana for appointment as Judges of the Supreme Court.
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