Justice Sanjiv Khanna to take oath as 51st CJI today

New Delhi: Justice Sanjiv Khanna, known for his role in several landmark Supreme Court rulings, will be sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan, scheduled for 10 am.

Justice Khanna succeeds Justice DY Chandrachud, who retired on Sunday after a distinguished tenure. Justice Khanna’s term as CJI will run until May 13, 2025. The Centre had notified his appointment on October 24, following CJI Chandrachud’s recommendation on October 16.

Justice Khanna, a Supreme Court judge since January 2019, has been instrumental in decisions such as scrapping the controversial electoral bonds scheme, upholding the abrogation of Article 370, and granting interim bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He has also upheld the sanctity of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Belonging to a prominent legal family, Justice Khanna is the son of former Delhi High Court judge Justice Dev Raj Khanna and the nephew of former Supreme Court judge HR Khanna, famed for his dissent in the ADM Jabalpur case during the Emergency.