Justice S.V. Bhatti, the Acting Chief Justice of Kerala, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.
The President appointed Justice Bhatti as the Chief Justice on Friday evening. Justice Bhatti succeeds Justice S. Manikumar who retired last month as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.
A native of Madanapalli in Chittoor of Andhra Pradesh, Justice Bhatti began practising as a lawyer in Hyderabad in 1987.
He was selected to the judiciary as a judge to the High Court of the undivided State of Andhra Pradesh in April 2013. Later, he moved to the Andhra Pradesh High Court following the bifurcation of the State into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Justice Bhatti joined the Kerala High Court as a judge in March 2019.
A specialist in environmental laws, Justice Bhatti has a special legal interest in civil laws, labour and industrial laws, and constitutional matters.
He was the standing counsel for several public sector companies including Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Hindustan Shipyard, and National Maritime University.
He had also served as a special government pleader in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh.
Anupama Bhatti, his wife, is a homemaker. He has two daughters, Vishnavi and Akhila.
