After row, Centre clears advocate as Bombay HC judge

Ten months after the collegium reiterated its recommendation, first made in early 2022, the Union government, on Thursday notified the appointment of advocate Somasekhar Sundaresan as a judge in the Bombay High Court. Sundaresan's appointment as a judge was earlier stalled by the Union government, which cited his "selectively critical" views on social media against governmental policies and initiatives.

- Utkarsh Anand

Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal posted the news of the appointment on X (formerly Twitter).

In January, the collegium reiterated its recommendation to appoint Sundaresan, standing firm on its February 2022 decision to propose his name for elevation. The January 2023 resolution revealed that the government wanted the collegium to reconsider Sundaresan's candidature because he had aired on social media, his views on several matters pending before the courts. The government had returned Sundaresan's name calling him a "highly biased opinionated person" who is "selectively critical on the social media on the important policies, initiatives and directions of the government".