Six new judges took oath at the Delhi High Court today, raising the judge strength to 40. The appointments follow transfers approved by the Supreme Court Collegium and the Centre.
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NEW DELHI: In a major boost to the judicial system in the capital of the nation, six judges took oath at the Delhi High Court on Monday, July 21, 2025. With their induction, the court’s current strength has risen to 40 judges, though it still falls short of the sanctioned strength of 60.
The oath was administered by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya. All six judges were transferred from other High Courts, following the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendations made in May 2025. The transfers, recently cleared by the Central Government, are set to enhance judicial efficiency and bring changes to the Delhi High Court’s Collegium structure.
ALSO READ: Supreme Court Collegium Orders Major Reshuffle, Transfers 21 High Court Judges
Justices V Kameswar Rao
Justice Rao, who had been transferred to the Karnataka High Court in May 2024, has now returned to his parent High Court.
Originally elevated as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court on April 17, 2013, he became a permanent judge on March 18, 2015.
Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre
Justice Sambre, born in Nagpur and a student of former CJI Sharad A. Bobde, brings rich experience from the Bombay High Court, where he has served since 2014.
His administrative background as Secretary of the High Court Bar Association, Nagpur (2004–07), further strengthens his profile.
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Justice Vivek Chaudhary
Justice Vivek Chaudhary was appointed as an Additional Judge on February 20, 2017, and was subsequently sworn in as a Permanent Judge on March 14, 2018.
He earned his law degree from Meerut University in 1988. He enrolled as an advocate on November 12 of the same year and built his legal career practicing civil and constitutional law before the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court of India.
Justice Anil Kshetrapal
Justice Kshetarpal began his legal career in Kurukshetra before shifting to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1988, joining the chamber of Justice VK Bali (Retd. Chief Justice).
He started independent practice in 1991, known for his command over civil and constitutional matters. Designated as a Senior Advocate in 2014, he was appointed an Additional Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 10, 2017.
ALSO READ: Supreme Court Collegium Recommends 3 New Judges for Top Court
Justice Arun Kumar Monga
Justice Arun Monga completed his schooling in Punjab, where his father served as a judicial officer. He earned a B.Sc. degree with first division from DAV College, Chandigarh, and later pursued his law degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh. During his law studies, he also taught Chemistry at a school in Chandigarh.
He began his legal practice in 1991 and moved to Delhi in 1997–98, where he practiced for nearly two decades. In October 2018, he was appointed as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was later transferred to the Rajasthan High Court, where he took oath on November 1, 2023.
Justice Om Prakash Shukla
Justice Om Prakash Shukla obtained his law degree from Lucknow University and enrolled with the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council in 2003. He practiced across various legal domains, including civil, service, constitutional, revenue, criminal, and miscellaneous matters, appearing before the Supreme Court of India, Allahabad High Court, and Delhi High Court.
He was appointed as an Additional Judge on August 3, 2022, and was elevated to the position of Permanent Judge on March 21, 2024.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru, the senior-most judge of the Delhi High Court, was formally bid farewell on July 16 following his elevation as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court. His departure has prompted the reconstitution of the Delhi High Court’s three-judge collegium, which previously comprised Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya, Justice Bakhru, and Justice Prathiba M Singh.
In a related move, the Ministry of Law and Justice issued notifications on July 14 approving the transfer of six judges to the Delhi High Court, based on the recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium.
Click Here to Read Our Reports on the Supreme Court Collegium
Click Here to Read Our Reports on the Transfer of Judges
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