The Central government has approved the transfer of Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari from the Madhya Pradesh High Court to the Kerala High Court.

This move follows a recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium, which had proposed his transfer during its meetings held on March 20, March 24, and April 3, with the final recommendation issued on April 7.

Justice Dharmadhikari, born on July 8, 1966, in Raipur, began his legal practice in 1992. For over 24 years, he was an active practitioner at the Madhya Pradesh High Court, handling cases across civil, criminal, and constitutional law domains.

Between 2000 and 2015, he served as Standing Counsel for the Union of India. During this time, he also represented key institutions such as the Income Tax Department, Reserve Bank of India, and Central Excise (as Senior Standing Counsel), along with several Public Sector Undertakings.

He was appointed as an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on April 7, 2016, and was made a permanent judge on March 17, 2018.

With Justice Dharmadhikari’s transfer, the Kerala High Court—which has a sanctioned strength of 47 judges—is now operating with 44 judges.