In a significant development for the judiciary, the Central Government has officially notified the appointment of 14 advocates as Additional Judges of the Bombay High Court, in line with the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium made last week.
The newly appointed judges come from diverse legal backgrounds, having represented both the government and private litigants across various branches of law. Their appointment is expected to strengthen the functioning of the High Court, which has been grappling with vacancies and a heavy pendency of cases.
List of Newly Appointed Additional Judges:
1. Siddheshwar Sundarrao Thombre
2. Mehroz Ashraf Khan Pathan
3. Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale
4. Nandesh Shankarrao Deshpande
5. Amit Satyavan Jamsandekar
6. Ashish Sahadev Chavan
7. Smt. Vaishali Nimbajirao Patil-Jadhav
8. Sandesh Dadasaheb Patil
9. Abasaheb Dharmaji Shinde
10. Shreeram Vinayak Shirsat
11. Hiten Shamrao Venegavkar
12. Farhan Parvez Dubash
13. Rajnish Ratnakar Vyas
14. Raj Damodar Wakode
Notable Profiles Among the Appointees
• Smt. Vaishali Patil-Jadhav and Shreeram Shirsat have served as Special Public Prosecutors for the Central Government, handling sensitive cases for premier investigative agencies including the CBI, NIA, and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
• Hiten Shamrao Venegavkar currently holds the position of Chief Public Prosecutor of Maharashtra, with an extensive track record of representing the state in crucial matters.
• Farhan Parvez Dubash, apart from his litigation practice, is serving as the Secretary of the Bombay Bar Association, one of the most influential bar bodies in India.
• Raj Damodar Wakode, another appointee, is the nephew of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud’s predecessor, CJI B.R. Gavai. His elevation has drawn particular attention in legal circles.
With these appointments, the working strength of the Bombay High Court rises to 83 judges against the sanctioned strength of 94. This development is expected to provide much-needed relief to the judiciary, which has been functioning under considerable strain due to vacancies and rising case backlogs.
The addition of new judges is seen as a step towards faster disposal of pending cases and improved access to justice in Maharashtra, Goa, and the Union Territories under the jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court.
