India, April 10 -- The Delhi High Court on Friday prima facie observed that where the statute provides for the senior-most member of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to be appointed as Acting Chairperson, any practice of considering only a judicial member as senior for such appointment, contrary to the statute, cannot be continued.

A bench comprising Justices C Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla observed this while issuing notice in a petition filed by NCLT Technical Member Kaushalendra Kumar Singh. Singh challenged the Central Administrative Tribunal's (CAT) April 8 order dismissing his plea against the appointment of Judicial Member Bachu Venkat Balram Das as Acting President.

On March 16, the Centre entrusted Das with the add...