A judicial officer from Himachal Pradesh has approached the Supreme Court challenging the recent recommendation of three judicial officers for elevation to the Himachal Pradesh High Court, alleging that officers junior to him have been preferred over his candidature.

The petition has been filed by Arvind Malhotra, Principal Judge of the Family Court in Dharamshala.

On June 3, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the names of judicial officers Chirag Bhanu Singh, Bhupesh Sharma and Yogesh Jaswal for appointment as judges of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana. Counsel appearing for Malhotra argued that his right to be considered for elevation had been violated since officers junior to him had been recommended by the Collegium and their names forwarded to the Central government.

Taking note of the request, CJI Surya Kant agreed to list the matter for hearing.

This is not the first time the process of judicial appointments in Himachal Pradesh has been challenged.

In 2024, two district judges serving in the State had similarly approached the Supreme Court, alleging that their seniority and merit were overlooked by the High Court Collegium while recommending names for elevation to the High Court.

In September 2024, the Supreme Court allowed their plea and requested the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court to reconsider their candidature.