Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Justice Sanjiv Khanna was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India today, following the retirement of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. The oath of office was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan. At 64, Chief Justice Khanna is set to serve a six-month term and will retire on May 13, 2024.
The ceremony was attended by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and other notable ministers. Former Chief Justice Chandrachud was also present at the event.
Chief Justice Khanna, born in Delhi, completed his schooling at Modern School Barakhamba Road and later graduated from St Stephen’s College. He pursued his legal education at Delhi University’s Campus Law College. His legal lineage includes his father, Justice Dev Raj Khanna, who served as a judge in the Delhi High Court, and his uncle, Justice Hans Raj Khanna, a Supreme Court judge known for his notable dissent during the Emergency period, defending the right against unlawful detention.
Justice Khanna began his career as a lawyer before his appointment as a judge in the Delhi High Court in 2005. He was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2019 and has since played a pivotal role in several landmark cases. His notable contributions include judgments upholding the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the decision on the abrogation of Article 370, which affected Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. Additionally, he was part of the bench that ruled the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional.
