The Union of India has notified the appointment of acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Sarasa Venkatanarayana Bhatti, as Chief Justice of the High Court.
The Ministry of Law and Justice published a notification on its website on Friday to this effect.
As per the notification, “In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Sarasa Venkatanarayana Bhatti, Judge, Kerala High Court, to be the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.”
The Supreme Court Collegium had made the recommendation regarding the appointment of Justice Bhatti as Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court on April 19 this year.
The Collegium noted in its resolution that Justice Bhatti was the senior-most Judge from the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and was presently functioning, on transfer, as the senior most judge of the Kerala High Court.
It said Justice Bhatti’s experience as a senior puisne judge in two High Courts would be useful for him in dispensing justice as the Chief Justice of KeralaHigh Court.
The resolution further noted that there was no judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh serving as Chief Justice of any High Court.
Taking in view all relevant factors, the Collegium said it was of the considered view that Justice SV Bhatti was fit and suitable in all respects to be appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala.
The Central government had notified on April 22 the appointment of Justice Bhatti as the acting Chief Justice upon the retirement of former Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice S Manikumar on April 24.
Born on May 6, 1962, Justice Bhatti finished his graduation in Law from Jagadguru Renukacharya College, Bangalore. He enrolled in the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh in January 1987 and started practice in the High Court of Judicature of AP at Hyderabad.
Justice Bhatti was sworn-in as an additional judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 12, 2013. He was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and the State of Andhra Pradesh in June 2014.
On March 19, 2019, he was transferred and appointed as a judge of the Kerala High Court.