Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, succeeding Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, who retired on Thursday, March 5.
Union Minister of State for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal announced Dharmadhikari’s appointment in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“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 High Court of Madras with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office. I convey my best wishes to him,” Meghwal wrote.
The appointment comes after the Supreme Court Collegium recommended Justice Dharmadhikari’s name for the post during a meeting held on February 26, according to a report by Bar and Bench.
Originally from Raipur in Madhya Pradesh, the 59-year-old began his legal career in 1992 and practised for over two decades in the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
He also served as the standing counsel for the Union of India between 2000 and 2015.
Justice Dharmadhikari was appointed as an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in April 2016 and was elevated as a permanent judge in March 2018. In April 2025, he was transferred to the Kerala High Court, where he has been serving as a judge.