Centre clears appointment of Justice MS Sonak as Chief Justice of Jharkhand HC; Two other CJ appointments approved

New Delhi [India], January 2 (ANI): The Central government on Friday approved the appointment of Justice MS Sonak, currently a judge of the Bombay High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
The appointment follows the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation at its recent meeting.
Justice Sonak will assume office upon the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice, Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, who is due to demit office on January 8, 2026.
Announcing the decision, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the President of India had approved Justice Sonak's appointment in accordance with constitutional provisions and in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
In an official X post, the Union Law Minister stated, "In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the President is pleased to appoint the following Judges as Chief Justice and Additional Judges in the High Courts:", the statement was followed by an image in which Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak was shown to be appointed as the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court. At the same time, Ramesh Chander Dimri and Neerja Kulwant Kalson were appointed as the Additional Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the President is pleased to appoint following Judges as Chief Justice and Additional Judges in the High Courts: pic.twitter.com/q5VKFQeZgR

— Arjun Ram Meghwal (@arjunrammeghwal) January 2, 2026

A day earlier, the Law Minister announced approval of two High Court judges for appointment as Chief Justices, based on the recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium.
As per the decision, Justice Revati Prashant Mohite Dere, presently a senior judge of the Bombay High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court. Her elevation follows the transfer of the incumbent Chief Justice, who is set to assume office as Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court upon the retirement of the current Chief Justice on January 9, 2026.
In a separate notification, Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo, a judge of the Orissa High Court, has been elevated as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. Justice Sahoo was appointed to the Orissa High Court on July 2, 2014, and is scheduled to retire on June 4, 2026.
Confirming the developments, the Law Minister stated that all appointments were made in exercise of constitutional powers and strictly in line with the recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium. (ANI)