Centre notifies transfer of Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari to Kerala HC

“In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Shri Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari, Judge, Madhya Pradesh High Court, as Judge of Kerala High Court and to direct him to assume charge of his office in the Kerala High Court,” said a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the Centre to transfer Justice Dharmadhikari, serving as a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge, to the Kerala High Court.

"The Supreme Court Collegium in its meetings held on 20th March 2025, 24th March 2025 and 03rd April 2025 has recommended transfer of Mr. Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari, Judge, High Court of Madhya Pradesh, to the High Court of Kerala," said a statement uploaded on the website of the apex court on Monday.

As per the existing Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), the proposal for transfer of high court judges is initiated by the Chief Justice of India in consultation with four senior-most puisne judges of the Supreme Court, commonly known as the Collegium. The MoP further provides that the CJI is also expected to take into account the views of the Chief Justice of the High Court from which the judge is to be transferred, as also the Chief Justice of the High Court to which the transfer is to be effected, besides taking into account the views of one or more Supreme Court judges who are in a position to offer views.

Born on July 9, 1966, at Raipur, Justice Dharmadhikari was appointed as an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in April 2016. He took oath as a permanent judge on March 17, 2018. Before his elevation to the bench, he practised in civil, criminal, and constitutional branches of law as an advocate for 24 years in the MP High Court.