President appoints New Supreme Court Judge and 3 Judges in J&K and Ladakh High Court

The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, has appointed one new judge to the Supreme Court and three judges to the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The appointments were announced through a press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) under the Ministry of Law and Justice on March 10, 2025.

As per the official communiqué, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court, has been appointed to the Supreme Court of India.

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Justice Bagchi, born on October 3, 1966, has over 13 years of judicial experience and was initially appointed as a Calcutta High Court judge in 2011, later serving briefly in the Andhra Pradesh High Court before his repatriation to Calcutta. His appointment strengthens the composition of the apex court and comes as part of ongoing efforts to ensure judicial efficiency.

Additionally, three new judges have been appointed to the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. Justices Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Rajesh Sekhri, and Mohd. Yousuf Wani, who were serving as additional judges, have now been elevated as permanent judges of the high court.

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Since July 18, 2024, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has been under the leadership of Acting Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan.

Justice Nargal was first recommended for judgeship in 2017 and appointed as an additional judge on June 1, 2022, and sworn in to the J&K and Ladakh High Court on June 3, 2022.

Justice Sekhri, who took oath as an additional judge on July 29, 2024, entered judicial service as a Munsiff in 1995 and later served as Sub Judge, Chief Judicial Magistrate in Rajouri and Kargil, and District & Sessions Judge before becoming a judicial member of the J&K Special Tribunal.

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Justice Wani, appointed as an additional judge on March 21, 2024, began his legal career in 1990 and has served as Munsiff, Sub Judge, District & Sessions Judge, and a judicial member of the J&K Special Tribunal in Srinagar.

These appointments come at a crucial time as the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court is operating with only 15 judges against a sanctioned strength of 25. With Justice Bagchi’s appointment, the Supreme Court will have 33 judges, one short of its sanctioned strength of 34.

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