Justice Sanjiv Khanna takes oath as 51st CJI

New Delhi : Justice Sanjiv Khanna on Monday took oath as the 51st Chief Justice of India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other prominent persons wishing him well. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to him at a brief swearing-in ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The CJI took the oath in English in the name of god. Justice Khanna, who was born on May 14, 1960, would have a tenure of a little over six months and demit office on May 13, 2025, at the age of 65 years.

"Attended the oath-taking ceremony of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who has been sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India. My best wishes for his tenure,” PM Modi posted on X. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also extended his wishes to CJI Khanna and noted the position would entail a great burden on his shoulders owing to extensive scrutiny and expectations.

Justice Khanna, who commenced courtroom proceedings in the apex court this afternoon as the CJI, thanked lawyers for wishing him well. "Thank you," said CJI Khanna, who was present on the bench along with Justice Sanjay Kumar. "I wish you a fruitful tenure as the CJI," said senior advocate and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi at the outset of the proceedings. Other lawyers too wished him well. CJI Khanna, who has served as a Supreme Court judge since January 2019, was a part of several landmark judgments such as upholding the sanctity of EVMs, scrapping of the electoral bonds scheme, upholding the abrogation of Article 370 and grant of interim bail to former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

He belongs to an illustrious Delhi-based family and is the son of former Delhi High Court judge Justice Dev Raj Khanna and the nephew of prominent former apex court judge H R Khanna.

His uncle Justice H R Khanna, known for his dissent in the infamous ADM Jabalpur case, was a part of the landmark verdict propounding the basic structure doctrine in the Kesavananda Bharati case in 1973. Justice H R Khanna resigned in 1976 upon rendering the ADM Jabalpur judgment after he was superseded by Justice M H Beg, appointed as the CJI by the government. Justice Khanna, on the other hand, has been a part of significant rulings, including the verdict that upheld the use of electronic voting machines in elections, outlining the devices to be secure. A bench he led on April 26, termed the suspicion of the manipulation of EVMs "unfounded" while rejecting the demand to revert to the previous paper ballot system.