Centre elevates three Chief Justices to Supreme Court

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Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (left), Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal (middle), and Telangana High Court Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh have been elevated to the Supreme Court. Photos: delhihighcourt.nic.in, gujarathighcourt.nic.in and tshc.gov.in

The Centre on Monday (October 5, 2026) appointed the Chief Justices of the Gujarat, Delhi, and Telangana High Courts to the Supreme Court. The three additional judges will take the court’s working strength to 37, leaving one vacancy against its sanctioned strength of 38.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on X that Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court; Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court; and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court have been appointed to the SC.

Justice Sunita Agarwal is originally from the Allahabad High Court and has served as Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court for around 3 years since July 2023. She will retire from the Supreme Court in April 2031.

Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, who became a judge in 2011 after serving as Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Standing Counsel, was appointed Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in July 2023. He was transferred to the Delhi High Court in January 2025.

Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh had practised before the Patna and Jharkhand High Courts before becoming a judge in 2012. He served as Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court before taking charge as Telangana High Court Chief Justice in July 2025.

They are set to be sworn in on October 6.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended their elevation on September 28.

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