The Central Government has officially notified the appointment of Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. The announcement was made today, March 5, 2026, by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, through a notification shared on social media platform X.
Justice Dharmadhikari, who was previously serving as a Judge of the Kerala High Court, succeeds the incumbent Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava, who retired today.
In the exercise of powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President of India, following consultation with the Chief Justice of India, has appointed Justice SA Dharmadhikari to lead the Madras High Court. The Law Minister stated:
“In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, the President of India, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari, Judge of the High Court of Kerala, to be the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.”
The appointment follows the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on February 26, 2026. The Collegium had proposed Justice Dharmadhikari’s name to fill the vacancy arising from the superannuation of Chief Justice MM Srivastava.
The process of appointment is governed by the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), where the Collegium’s recommendation is sent to the Union Law Ministry, which then processes the file for the President’s approval.
Justice Dharmadhikari’s parent High Court is the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Born on July 8, 1966, in Raipur, he enrolled as an advocate in 1992. During his extensive legal career, he practiced before the Madhya Pradesh High Court for over two decades, specializing in civil, criminal, and constitutional matters.
Notably, he served as the Standing Counsel for the Union of India from 2000 to 2015. He was elevated as a Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2016 and was later transferred to the Kerala High Court in early 2023, where he has been serving until this current appointment.
The appointment comes into effect on the date Justice Dharmadhikari assumes charge of his office. His tenure at the Madras High Court begins as the judiciary continues to focus on addressing case pendency and digital transformation within the court system.
