The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) is set for a significant reshuffle as Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma, a Judicial Member, is anticipated to transition from the Chennai Bench to the Principal Bench in New Delhi, effective July 20. This development, reported by sources to Bar & Bench, coincides with Justice N Seshasayee’s expected move to the Chennai Bench on the same date. Official notifications regarding these changes are expected soon.
These moves follow the departure of former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Ashok Bhushan, who stepped down as Chairperson of the NCLAT on July 4. Justice Sharma, previously a judge at the Uttarakhand High Court, joined the NCLAT as a Judicial Member in 2024, initially serving at the Chennai Bench. His tenure there has been marked by notable courtroom activities.
In July 2024, a heated exchange occurred at the Chennai Bench when a lawyer cited a directive from the Karnataka High Court for the NCLAT to prioritize a case. Justice Sharma questioned the authority of a High Court to direct the appellate tribunal’s scheduling. In November 2024, he recused himself from an insolvency case due to a message from his brother about the matter. A similar recusal happened in August 2025 after Justice Sharma revealed in court that a litigant had approached him through a retired High Court judge for favorable judgment. The tribunal recorded this as an approach by “one of the most revered members of the higher judiciary.”
The Supreme Court later transferred this contentious case from the NCLAT Chennai Bench to the Principal Bench in Delhi and stated that Justice Sharma’s allegations would be reviewed administratively.
Justice Seshasayee, who retired from the Madras High Court on January 7, 2025, was appointed as a Judicial Member of the NCLAT by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on May 14, 2025, alongside Justice Mohammad Faiz Alam Khan. The NCLAT operates from its Principal Bench in New Delhi and a regional bench in Chennai, serving litigants from southern India. The tribunal adjudicates appeals from the National Company Law Tribunal, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, and the Competition Commission of India, among others.
