Supreme Court Collegium Approves Appointment of Santosh Sharma, Sushma Sawant and Sudhir Kumar as Chhattisgarh High Court Judges

The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the appointment of three senior judicial officers, Santosh Sharma, Sushma Sawant and Sudhir Kumar, as Judges of the High Court of Chhattisgarh. The decision was taken at the Collegium meeting held on August 18, 2026, marking an important development for the Chhattisgarh High Court.

According to the statement issued by the Supreme Court Collegium, the proposal for appointment of the three judicial officers as Judges of the High Court of Chhattisgarh has been approved. The decision is part of the constitutional process for appointment of High Court Judges. The Supreme Court maintains an official repository of its Collegium resolutions and appointment decisions.

Santosh Sharma is presently serving as Principal District & Sessions Judge, Korba. According to the official profile of the High Court of Chhattisgarh, he entered judicial service on March 19, 2009. During his judicial career, he has served at several important judicial and administrative positions, including District & Sessions Judge, Registrar (S&A) of the High Court of Chhattisgarh, Registrar (Vigilance), Judge of the Family Court and Principal District & Sessions Judge, Korba. His qualifications include B.Sc., M.Sc. in Zoology, LL.B. and M.A. in Sociology.

Sushma Sawant is currently serving as Principal Secretary in the Government of Chhattisgarh’s Law and Legislative Affairs Department. She joined the judicial service on April 15, 1994, and has held several significant judicial and administrative assignments, including District & Sessions Judge, Principal Judge of the Family Court, Director of the Chhattisgarh State Judicial Academy and Principal District & Sessions Judge, Rajnandgaon. She holds B.Sc. and LL.B. degrees.

Sudhir Kumar is presently serving as Principal Judge, Family Court, Raipur. He joined the judicial service on March 13, 2009. His previous assignments include District & Sessions Judge at Dantewada, Dhamtari and Bilaspur, Registrar (Vigilance) of the High Court of Chhattisgarh, Registrar General of the High Court, Principal District & Sessions Judge, Durg, and Legal Advisor to the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission. He holds B.A. and LL.B. degrees.

The elevation of the three judicial officers will add considerable judicial experience to the Chhattisgarh High Court. All three have served for several years in the district judiciary as well as in important administrative positions, giving them extensive experience in judicial adjudication and court administration.

The Collegium’s approval, however, is an important stage in the appointment process and is distinct from the final appointment notification. Under Article 217 of the Constitution, Judges of a High Court are appointed by the President after the constitutionally prescribed consultation process. Therefore, the Collegium’s recommendation is followed by the subsequent governmental and constitutional formalities before the appointments take effect.

The latest decision also assumes significance in the context of strengthening the judicial strength of the High Court of Chhattisgarh. With Santosh Sharma, Sushma Sawant and Sudhir Kumar being recommended from the State’s judicial service, the appointments would bring experienced members of the district judiciary to the High Court Bench once the remaining appointment formalities are completed.