Introduction

• Justice SV Bhatti was born on 6th May 1962 in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. He graduated in law from Jagadguru Renukacharya College, Bangalore. 

Career 

• Justice SV Bhatti enrolled himself as an Advocate on 21st January 1987 and later practiced in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. 
• He served as a Special Government Pleader in the office of Advocate General at the High Court of Andhra Pradesh from 2000 to 2003. 
• Justice SV Bhatti was appointed as the judge of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telengana and the State of Andhra Pradesh on 1st June 2014. 
• Upon bifurcation of State of Andhra Pradesh, he was appointed as the Judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court and was later transferred to Kerela High Court. 
• He assumed office in Kerela High Court on 19th March 2019. 
• Later he was made the Chief Justice of Kerela High Court with effect from 1st June 2023. 
• Finally on 14th July 2023 took oath as the Supreme Court Judge. 
• His appointment gave much needed representation to Andhra Pradesh High Court as it does not have any representation on the Bench after Chief Justice N.V. Ramana retired. 

Notable Judgments 

• H. Vasanthi v. A. Santha (Dead) Through Lrs and others (2023) 
  • The suit in this case was filed for the relief of declaration on the ground that the plaintiff, a woman, is a coparcener by amended Section 29 A of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 (HSA). 
  • The issue before the Court was whether the property was a coparcenary property available for partition.  
  • The Court while answering the issue held that there is no prohibition in effecting a partition otherwise than through an instrument in writing by dully complying with the requirement of law. 
• Dr. Kavita Yadav v. Secy, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (2023) 
  • A 3-judge bench in this case was hearing an appeal against a Delhi High Court ruling which restricted the maternity benefits to a mere 11 day period as the contractual period of the agreement was expiring. 
  • The Court observed that Section 12 (2)(a) of Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 contemplates entitlement even for an employee who is dismissed or discharged during pregnancy. 
  • Thus, in the statute itself there is a provision for extending the benefits for a period beyond the term of employment.  
  • The Court held in this case that the maternity benefit can travel beyond the term of contractual employment and hence the period of benefit can overshoot the term of contractual employment.   
• Saranya v. Jyothi Basu (2020) 
  • The issue before the Kerela High Court was regarding the custody of a 6 year old child. 
  • The Kerela High Court held that welfare of the child is the paramount consideration that should be taken while deciding the custody of the child. 
  • Thus, the Court held that the mother of the child shall have custody during summer holidays for 15 days each month and for 5 days during festival apart from the custody every Saturday and Sunday. 
• PRS Hospital v. P Anil Kumar (2020) 
  • The issue before the Kerela Court was regarding the application of the principle of res ipsa loquitor in the cases of negligence. 
  • In this case the alleged victim came inside the hospital as a healthy young man of 29 years to undergo minor procedure for removal of stones from the kidney. 
  • However, after the surgery he lost his speech. 
  • The Kerela High Court held that by the application of principle of res ipsa loquitor, the hospital alone could have explained the allegation of negligence. 
  • It was held that the hospital failed to prove the absence of negligence.