SC secretary general goes back to MP as sessions judge

Supreme Court secretary general Sanjeev Sudhakar Kalgaonkar has been repatriated as district and sessions judge, Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh. He is leaving as a head of top court register upon the completion of his threeyear term.

Kalgaonkar’s threeyear term as top court’s secretary general ends on November 3. But since the top court will have a week-long Diwali vacation starting November 1, 2021, he was given farewell on Saturday. He belongs to Madhya Pradesh judicial services.

Kalgaonkar is likely to be succeeded by Virender Kumar Bansal who is currently functioning as officer on special duty (OSD) in the office of the outgoing secretary general.

Though a formal announcement of Kalgaonkar’s successor is yet to be made, as per top court practice, a judicial officer functioning as OSD to the outgoing secretary general normally succeeds him. Bansal belongs to Delhi judicial services.

In Pegasus spyware snooping probe by the top court appointed expert committee under the supervision of former top court judge, Justice R.V.Raveendran, Bansal has been tasked to coordinate between the committee, Justice Raveendran and the Central/state governments to ensure smooth functioning and to facilitate expeditious communication to meet the requirements of probe.

Bansal, considered to be a pick of Chief Justice of India, Justice N.V. Ramana, joined the top court registry nearly a week after Justice Ramana was sworn in.