Mumbai: Advocate Aarti Arun Sathe, a former BJP spokesperson, on Tuesday took oath as a judge of the Bombay High Court along with two other lawyers. Chief Justice Alok Aradhe administered the oath to Advocates Sathe, Ajit Kadethankar and Sushil Ghodeswar.
Political Row Over Sathe’s Appointment
Earlier this month, state Congress had questioned the recommendation of Sathe's name for the judge's post by the Supreme Court collegium, citing her ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The state BJP, however, had clarified that Sathe had resigned from the party. Sathe was a state BJP spokesperson from February 2023 to January 2024 when she resigned.
Appointment Notification Cleared by Centre
The Centre on August 13 issued a notification clearing her appointment. Justice Sathe presided over a division bench headed by Justice Ajey Gadkari after taking the oath.
Career Background and Experience
Sathe has over 20 years of advocacy experience in SAD, direct tax, customs, SEBI matters and matrimonial disputes. She resigned from the BJP post in January 2024, citing personal and professional reasons.
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Current Strength of Bombay High Court
The Bombay HC currently has a total of 66 judges, including 50 permanent and 16 additional ones. With the three judges taking oath today, the strength has gone up to 69. The sanctioned strength of the Bombay HC is 94.
