JUSTICE ARAVIND KUMAR
Date of Birth : 14-07-1962
Assumed Office : 13-02-2023
Retires on: 13-07-2027
Justice Aravind Kumar was born on July 14, 1962, in Karnataka. He completed his L.L.B. from V.V. Puram College, Bangalore, and enrolled as an advocate in 1987.
Justice Kumar began his legal career practicing in Civil Courts, Magistrate Courts, and Appellate Tribunals. In 1991, he transitioned to practicing at the Karnataka High Court, where he served as an advisor, standing counsel, and committee member for various statutory bodies. In 1999, he was appointed Additional Standing Counsel for the Union government at the Karnataka High Court, followed by his appointment as Standing Counsel for the Income Tax Department in 2002.
He also served on the Regional Direct Taxes Advisory Committee and was appointed Assistant Solicitor General of India in 2005. Additionally, he held the position of Special Public Prosecutor for the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Justice Kumar was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court in 2009 and became a Permanent Judge in 2012. While at the Karnataka High Court, he served as Executive Chairman of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority. Notably, he was part of the Bench, along with then Chief Justice A.S. Oka, that oversaw the implementation of COVID-19 protocols in Karnataka.
In October 2021, Justice Kumar was appointed Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court. During his tenure, he focused on reducing case pendency and introduced ‘justice clocks’ in courtrooms to monitor case backlogs, with the data displayed on the High Court’s website.
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Justice Kumar also emphasized the importance of legal education and social responsibility. He collaborated with the Gujarat government to establish ‘signal schools,’ aimed at educating children begging at traffic signals. This initiative was a continuation of a similar program he had introduced while serving at the Karnataka High Court.