The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the appointment of three additional judges of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as permanent judges.

The judges recommended for permanent appointment are Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Justice Rajesh Sekhri, and Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani.

Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal holds the distinction of being the first Muslim judge from the Jammu region to serve in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. His recommendation for judgeship was made by the High Court Collegium in August 2017 and subsequently approved by the Supreme Court Collegium in April 2018. He was officially appointed as an additional judge on June 1, 2022, and took oath on June 3, 2022. Before his elevation, he was a Senior Advocate practicing before the High Court and had served as Senior Additional Advocate General for the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department. He has also represented various Central government departments, the Jammu and Kashmir government, Public Sector Undertakings, banks, and universities as standing counsel.

Justice Rajesh Sekhri was sworn in as an additional judge of the High Court on July 29, 2024. After obtaining his LLB from the Faculty of Law, University of Jammu in 1989, he joined the judicial service as a Munsiff judge in 1995. Over the years, he served as a Sub Judge and Chief Judicial Magistrate in Rajouri and Kargil before being promoted to District and Sessions Judge in 2008. He held various judicial positions and was serving as a judicial member of the J&K Special Tribunal Jammu before his elevation to the High Court.

Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani began his legal career in 1990 and was appointed as Munsiff in December 1997. He was elevated to Sub Judge in 2000 and later to District & Sessions Judge in 2008. His career includes key judicial roles, such as serving as a Judicial Member of the J&K Special Tribunal in Srinagar. His appointment as an additional judge of the High Court was officially notified on March 21, 2024.

The Supreme Court Collegium, in its meeting held on March 5, 2025, recommended the elevation of all three judges to permanent positions.

Despite this development, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh continues to face a judicial vacancy crisis. With a sanctioned strength of 25 judges, the High Court currently operates with only 15 judges, leaving 10 positions vacant. The persistent shortage of judges has impacted the timely disposal of cases and added to the workload of the existing judiciary.