New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS): The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, on Tuesday recommended the appointment of two judicial officers as Patna High Court Judges.

The recommendation for the appointment of judicial officers Shashi Bhushan Prasad Singh, and Ashok Kumar Pandey as HC judges was made in May this year by the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues.

The SC Collegium said that it has consulted the apex court judges conversant with the affairs of the Patna High Court to ascertain the fitness and suitability of the two candidates.

Singh, who joined the judicial service in May 1996, is presently working as Registrar (Vigilance) in the Patna High Court, said the SC Collegium, adding that "inputs provided by the Department of Justice in the file indicate that he enjoys a good personal and professional image and that nothing adverse has come to notice against his integrity".

Pandey, who joined the judicial service in 1995, is currently working as Director of Bihar Judicial Academy.

"Both the consultee-Judges have found the candidate suitable for appointment as a High Court Judge. The inputs provided by the Department of Justice in the file indicate that he enjoys a good personal and professional image; and that nothing adverse has come to notice against his integrity," said the SC Collegium.

It stated that it found the judicial officers suitable for appointment, bearing in mind the views of the consultee-judge, the report of the Judgment Assessment Committee and the assessment made by the Centre in the file.

"We have also taken note of the fact that the above proposal involves non-recommendation of some senior judicial officers. Cogent/good reasons have been recorded by the Collegium of the High Court for not recommending their names. We are, therefore, in agreement with the High Court Collegium for overlooking them," it added.

"The Collegium resolves to recommend that S/Shri (i) Shashi Bhushan Prasad Singh, and (ii) Ashok Kumar Pandey, Judicial Officers, be appointed as Judges of the High Court of Judicature at Patna," read the statement uploaded on the website of the apex court. Further, it said that the Chief Minister and the Governor of Bihar concurred with the recommendation.