Lawyer and former BJP spokesperson Aarti Sathe was appointed as a judge of the Bombay High Court this week — sparking outrage in the Opposition ranks. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar also urged the Supreme Court collegium to withdraw its recommendation on Wednesday, contending that such an elevation would affect the impartiality of the judiciary. Meanhwhile the BJP and its allies have rallied in favour of the decision — noting that Sathe resigned from the party two years ago.
‘Blow to democracy’
“Appointing a person who has openly represented a political party on public platforms as a judge is one of the biggest blows to democracy. This will adversely impact the impartiality of India’s judiciary. If her name was proposed in 2025, her interview must have happened around 2023. Was she still holding a party position then? Will a judge with a political background deliver unbiased verdicts on issues like farmers’ suicides, land scams, or environmental concerns that may involve the government?” Pawar asked at a press conference.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also echoed his concerns while state BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye insisted that Sathe held “no connection with the BJP” at this time.
Former members of the Judiciary have also critiqued the decision — with former Bombay High Court judge BG Kolse-Patil urging Chief Justice BR Gavai to “put his foot down and not come under any sort of pressure from the BJP”.
“As a political leader, she was doing her duty…nothing wrong in that. Suddenly, the same person is asked to do a fair job as a Bombay High Court judge. How is it possible? How can a person so attached to a political party deliver a judgment against the same party? How will she deliver fair judgments? This is unbecoming of the judicial system. The SC Collegium should review its decision,” he added.
Who is Aarti Sathe?
Sathe is a lawyer specialising in complex tax disputes who served as the spokesperson BJP in Maharashtra BJP till January 2024. She had resigned citing “personal and professional reasons” and also quit her primary membership of the party. Sathe was recommended as a judge of the Bombay High Court on July 28.
She was born into a Maharatrian family involved in the legal profession and now holds more than 20 years of work experience. Sathe has argued cases before the Securities Exchange Board of India, the Securities Appellate Tribunal, and the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal. She has represented matrimonial disputes before the Bombay High Court and even argued cases in the Supreme Court and other High Courts.
The Sathe family has long been associated with the RSS and BJP — with her aunt being former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Her father, Arun Sathe, has been a member of the BJP national executive and a founding member of the party. According to an Indian Express report quoting sources, her appointment as the Mumbai BJP spokesperson in 2023 was largely ‘symbolic’.
(With inputs from agencies)