IMPHAL, May 16: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of Justice Kempaiah Somashekar of the Karnataka High Court as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court. The recommendation comes as the current Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court, Justice D Krishnakumar, is set to retire on May 21.
“The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 15th May, 2025 has recommended appointment of Mr. Justice Kempaiah Somashekar, Judge, High Court of Karnataka, as the Chief Justice of High Court of Manipur, consequent upon the retirement of Mr. Justice D. Krishnakumar on 21st May, 2025,” the Collegium resolution stated.
Justice Somashekar began his legal career after enrolling as an advocate on January 27, 1990. He practiced in the Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts, dealing with both civil and criminal matters.
He was directly appointed as a District and Sessions Judge on June 17, 1998. Over the course of his judicial career, he served in several key roles, including as Additional District and Sessions Judge in Bijapur (now Vijayapura) and at the City Civil Court in Bangalore.
Justice Somashekar also played a vital role in the administrative functioning of the judiciary, having served as Registrar (Judicial) and Registrar (Vigilance) at the High Court of Karnataka. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court on November 14, 2016, and was made a Permanent Judge on November 3, 2018.
