Supreme Court Collegium recommend two judicial officers as Judges for Tripura High Court

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the names of two Judicial officers Biswajit Palit and Sabyasachi Datta Purkayastha for appointment as Judges of the High Court of Tripura.

The collegium reads that on 01 December 2022, the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Tripura in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues recommended the elevation of the above judicial officers as judges of that High Court. 

“Views of the Chief Minister and the Governor for  Tripura on the above recommendation have not been placed in the file. On this aspect, the Department of Justice has forwarded the above recommendation by invoking para 14 of the Memorandum of Procedure which provides that if the 
comments of the State constitutional authorities are not received within the said time frame, it should be presumed by the Minister of Law and Justice that the Governor and Chief Minister have nothing to add to the proposal and proceed accordingly”, the order reads.

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It further said that in order to ascertain the fitness and suitability of the above-named judicial 
officers for elevation to the High Court, we have consulted our colleagues conversant with the affairs of the High Court of Tripura.

“For the purpose of assessing the merit and suitability of the above-named candidates for elevation to the High Court, we have scrutinized and evaluated the material placed on record including the observations made by the Department of Justice in the file as well as the complaints, received against 
one of the candidates”, the Collegium of the apex court reads.

“.….The Collegium has taken due note of the inputs placed by the Government of India on the file which do not contain any information adverse to the reputation or integrity of the officer. The Collegium has also taken note of the report of the Judgment Assessment Committee. The Collegium finds the candidate suitable for appointment as a judge of the High Court. While considering the above proposal, we have also taken note of the fact that the above proposal involves the non-recommendation of senior judicial officers. Cogent reasons have been recorded by the Collegium of the High Court for not recommending their names. We are, therefore, in agreement with the Collegium of the High Court for not recommending them. In view of the above, the Collegium resolves to recommend that Biswajit Palit and Sabyasachi Datta Purkayastha, Judicial Officers, be appointed as judges of the High Court of Tripura. Their inter se seniority be fixed as per the existing practice”, it said.