Justice P S Dinesh Kumar is new chief justice of Karnataka HC

New Delhi: Justice P S Dinesh Kumar was appointed as the chief justice of the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday and will have a tenure of less than a month before he retires on February 24.

He is at present the acting chief justice of the high court after Justice P B Varale was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court a few days ago.

On January 19, the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended his name to the government.

Separately, Arun Kumar Rai, a judicial officer, was elevated as a judge of the Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday.

While recommending Justice P S Dinesh Kumar’s elevation, the Supreme Court Collegium stated, “He has served the High Court of Karnataka with distinction since his appointment. In view of the fact that Justice P S Dinesh Kumar…has a short tenure, in terms of the Memorandum of Procedure, the Collegium resolves to recommend his appointment as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka.”

While Supreme Court judges demit office on attaining the age of 65 years, high court judges retire at 62.

In the recent past too, judges with a short tenure have been elevated as chief justices of high courts.