Sanjay Parihar, Shahazad Azeem appointed as judges of J&K High Court

Srinagar: The President of India on Tuesday appointed senior judicial officers, Sanjay Parihar and Shahzad Azeem as judges of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
In a notification the President of India appointed Sanjay Parihar and Shahzad Azeem as judges of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh.
“In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint S/Shri (i) Sanjay Parihar and (ii) Shahzad Azeem to be Judges of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices,” reads the notification, issued by Union Ministry of Law & Justice.
The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna, in its meeting held on April 16, 2025, had approved the proposal for their appointment as judges of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh.
With these appointments, the strength of judges in J&K High Court has gone upto 15 against the sanctioned strength of 25 judges- 19 permanent judges and six additional judges.
Born on December 19, 1968, in Palmar, Kishtwar, Sanjay Parihar began his judicial career on December 1, 1997. Over the years, he has held key positions, including Principal District and Sessions Judge, Jammu, and Special Judge for Anti-Corruption (CBI cases), handling several high-profile cases.
Shahzad Azeem, who entered judicial service on August 5, 2011, has served as Director of the J&K Judicial Academy and Registrar General of the High Court.