Kochi: The Kerala High Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of five district judges to the High Court Bench. The recommendations were made based on the seniority of the judicial officers.

Among those recommended is Judge Honey M Varghese, who presided over the high-profile 2017 actress assault case. Currently serving as the Principal District Judge in Alappuzha, she was the Principal District and Sessions Judge in Ernakulam at the time of delivering the verdict in that trial.

The other four judicial officers recommended by the Collegium are

  • P S Sasikumar (Principal District Judge, Thrissur)
  • K K Balakrishnan (Principal District Judge, Ernakulam)
  • N Harikumar (Principal District Judge, Pathanamthitta)
  • S Naseera (Principal District Judge, Thiruvananthapuram)

These recommendations will now be forwarded to the Supreme Court Collegium for final consideration. Following her tenure in Ernakulam, Judge Honey M Varghese was transferred to Alappuzha as part of routine judicial reshuffles.