Andhra Pradesh, Telangana to have separate high courts from Jan 1

The orders, signed by President Ram Nath Kovind and issued by the Union Law Ministry on Wednesday, said that Andhra Pradesh will have its own High Court from January 1 next year at its capital Amaravati and the High Court at Hyderabad shall become the High Court for Telangana.

The order also allocated judges to the two high courts.

"In pursuance of article 214 of the Constitution and the Order issued by the Supreme Court of India and in exercise of powers conferred under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, the President hereby constitutes a separate High Court for the State of Andhra Pradesh from January 1, 2019 with the principal seat at Amaravati and the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad shall become the High Court for the State of Telangana," it said.

It said 16 judges shall cease to be the Judges of the High Court at Hyderabad and shall become the Judges of Andhra Pradesh High Court from January 1.

The judges are Justice Ramesh Ranganathan (presently working as Chief Justice of High Court of Uttarakhand), Justice Chagari Praveen Kumar, Justice Sarasa Venkatanarayana Bhatti, Justice Akula Venkata Sesha Sai,  Justice Dama Seshadri Naidu (presently working on transfer as Judge, High Court of Kerala), Justice Mandhata Seetharama Murti,  Justice UpmakaDurga Prasad Rao, Justice Talluri Sunil Chowdary, Justice Mallavolu Satyanarayana Murthy, Justice Gudiseva Shyam Prasad, Justice Kumari Javalakar Uma Devi, Justice Nakka Balayogi, Justice Telaprolu Rajani,  Justice Durvasula Venkata Subramanya Suryanarayana Somayajulu,  Justice KongaraVijaya Lakshmi and Justice Manthoj Ganga Rao.

The notification named 10 judges, who will cease to be the judges of the common High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad and shall become judges of  Telangana High Court from January 1.

They are Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar, Justice Mamidanna Satya Ratna Ramachandra Rao, Justice Adavalli Rajasheker Reddy, Justice Ponugoti Naveen Rao,  Justice Challa Kodandaram Chowdary, Justice Bulusu Siva Sankara Rao,  Justice Dr. Shameem Akther,  Justice Potlapalli Keshava Rao,  Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili and  Justice Todupunuri Amarnath Goud.

It said that Justice R. Subhash Reddy, who was judge of the common High Court at Hyderabad and who has been elevated as judge of the Supreme Court, had exercised the option for allocation to High Court for the State of Telangana.

Telangana was carved out as a separate state from Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

The Constitution provides that there shall be a High Court for each state. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act provides  that there shall be a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh  and the one at Hyderabad shall become the High Court of Telangana.

The Supreme Court had earlier this year held that there is no embargo for the Competent Authority to issue a notification bifurcating the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad into the High Court of Telangana and the High Court of Andhra Pradesh.

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti had been pressing for a separate high court of Telanagana.