The Union Government has approved the appointment of five new Chief Justices to various High Courts, including the Karnataka High Court. Justice Vibhu Bakhru has been named the new Chief Justice of Karnataka, succeeding Acting Chief Justice V. Kameswar Rao.
Justice Bakhru was born on November 2, 1966, in Nagpur. He completed his schooling at Delhi Public School, New Delhi, and pursued commerce at Delhi University, earning his B.Com degree in 1987. In 1989, he cleared the final Chartered Accountancy exam before shifting his focus to law.
He obtained his law degree (LLB) in 1990 and enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi. Justice Bakhru built a distinguished legal career, appearing before the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, Company Law Board, and other tribunals. In July 2011, he was designated a Senior Advocate.
Justice Bakhru was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in April 2013 and briefly served as Acting Chief Justice of the same court from December 5, 2024, to January 21, 2025. His elevation to the Karnataka High Court was based on a recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium dated May 26, 2025.
In addition to Justice Bakhru, the Centre has cleared the appointments of four other High Court Chief Justices: Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva (Madhya Pradesh), Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan (Jharkhand), Justice Ashutosh Kumar (Gauhati), and Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi (Patna).