SC Collegium Recommends Transfer of MP High Court Judge to Kerala High Court

The Supreme Court Collegium has also recommended the transfer of Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari, a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, to the Kerala High Court. This decision was made following a series of meetings on March 20, 24, and April 3, 2025. Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, considered feedback from various stakeholders, including Chief Justices of the Madhya Pradesh and Kerala High Courts, as per the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) that governs judicial transfers.

Justice Dharmadhikari, born on July 9, 1966, at Raipur, has a career of over two decades of practice as an advocate prior to being appointed as a judge. He was practicing constitutional, criminal, and civil law in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He was elevated as an additional judge in April 2016 and was given permanent status on March 17, 2018.

The transfer proposal is among the Collegium's efforts to ensure efficient judicial administration and redistribute the workload between different high courts. 

While no reasons are cited for this specific transfer, transfers of this kind typically aim to optimize judicial talent and resources in regions.

The transfer process involves the Centre, which will now consider the Collegium's recommendation. Once approved, Justice Dharmadhikari will join the Kerala High Court, bringing his experience to the Kerala judiciary. 

The development indicates the dynamic nature of judicial appointments and transfers in India, which are critical to maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the judiciary.