Justice Sheel Nagu Appointed Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court

Justice Sheel Nagu has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, following a notification by the Centre on Thursday. Previously, Justice Nagu served as the Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court after Chief Justice Ravi Malimath demitted office on May 24, 2024. His appointment comes after a Supreme Court Collegium recommendation and fills the position left vacant since Chief Justice RS Jha’s retirement on October 13, 2023. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has now been appointed as the new Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Background and Career

Birth and Early Career: Born on January 1, 1965, Justice Sheel Nagu enrolled as an advocate in October 1987 and practiced at the Madhya Pradesh High Court in constitutional, service, labor, and criminal cases.

Judicial Appointment: Appointed as a High Court judge on May 27, 2011.

Judicial Contributions: Authored more than 499 reported judgments over a tenure of 12 years at the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Supreme Court Collegium Recommendation

Recommendation Date: December 27, 2023.

Collegium Members: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjiv Khanna, and BR Gavai.

Previous Acting Chief Justices: Justice Ritu Bahri (October 2023 – February 2024) and Justice GS Sandhawalia (appointed February 4, 2024).

Recent Appointments and Changes

New Acting Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court: Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva.

Recent Clearances by Centre: Appointment of Justice BR Sarangi as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court on July 3, following the Collegium’s recommendations.