Justice P Sam Koshy Appointed Acting Chief Justice of Telangana High Court

Justice Puthichira Sam Koshy has been appointed Acting Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court by President Droupadi Murmu, following the elevation of the incumbent Chief Justice, Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, as a judge of the Supreme Court of India.

The appointment was notified by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, on October 5, 2026, under Article 223 of the Constitution. Justice Koshy will assume charge from the date Justice Singh relinquishes office following his elevation to the Supreme Court. The notification will be published in the Gazette of India, Part I, Section 2.

Justice Koshy brings more than three decades of legal and judicial experience. Born on April 30, 1967, he completed his B.Com in 1987 and law degree in 1990 before enrolling as an advocate on March 9, 1991. He practised at the Madhya Pradesh High Court and later at the Chhattisgarh High Court, handling civil, constitutional, service and labour matters.

He served as Government Advocate of Chhattisgarh from 2002 to 2004 and as Deputy Advocate General in 2005-06, while representing several public-sector entities, banks and institutions, including Coal India, SECL, NMDC, SBI, IOC, HPCL and BPCL.

Justice Koshy was appointed an Additional Judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court in September 2013 and became a permanent judge in March 2016. He was transferred to the Telangana High Court and took oath on July 27, 2023. He has also served as Executive Chairman of the Telangana State Legal Services Authority, including from July 1, 2025, and is an ex-officio member of NALSA.

The appointment is not his first stint with the Chief Justice's responsibilities. He briefly performed the duties of Telangana High Court Chief Justice in July 2025, giving him prior administrative experience.

Justice Singh's elevation was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on September 28, along with Gujarat Chief Justice Justice Sunita Agarwal and Delhi Chief Justice Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya. Their appointments will take the Supreme Court's working strength to 37 judges against a sanctioned strength of 38.

The Telangana High Court, which became a separate court on January 1, 2019, following bifurcation, has a sanctioned strength of 42 judges - 32 permanent and 10 additional. Justice Koshy's appointment ensures continuity in its administration while the process of appointing a regular Chief Justice proceeds.