Meet Justice Sanjiv Khanna, new Chief Justice of India | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Judge Sanjiv Khannawhich contributed to several important Supreme Court rulings, such as overturning the electoral bonds scheme and supported the abrogation of the clauses of Article 370 – was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday.
President Droupadi Murmu took oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He takes over from Justice DY Chandrachudwho retired on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and former CJI DY Chandrachud were also present during the oath-taking ceremony.

Judge Khanna’s term runs until May 13, 2025.
The government formally announced Justice Khanna’s appointment on October 24, following a recommendation by Chief Justice Chandrachud on October 16. Justice Chandrachud received a warm farewell from the judges, lawyers and staff of the Supreme Court on his last day at work, Friday, November 8.
Who is Judge Sanjiv Khanna?
Justice Khanna, who has been a Supreme Court judge since January 2019, has been involved in several important cases, including the confirmation of the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), which will undo the electoral bond scheme and the repeal of Article 370and granting interim bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Born on May 14, 1960 and belonging to a Delhi legal family, Justice Khanna is the son of former Delhi High Court judge Justice Dev Raj Khanna and the nephew of famous former Supreme Court judge HR Khanna. Before his appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court on January 18, 2019, Justice Khanna was a lawyer for several years and later a judge of the Delhi High Court.
His uncle, Justice HR Khanna, made headlines in 1976 when he dissented from the ADM Jabalpur case and declared the suspension of fundamental rights during the Emergency unconstitutional. Justice HR Khanna’s stand, which was not favored by the government, prevented him from becoming Chief Justice as Justice MH Beg was appointed instead. Justice HR Khanna also played a key role in establishing the basic structure doctrine in the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case.
One of Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s notable statements is his support for EVMs in elections, noting that they prevent booth capture and bogus votes. In April 2024, a bench headed by Justice Khanna rejected concerns about EVM tampering and ruled against a return to paper ballots.
Justice Khanna was also part of the SC bench that declared the electoral bond scheme for political financing as unconstitutional and upheld the government’s 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. He was also chairman of the bench that granted Kejriwal interim bail, allowing him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections amid investigations into the excise policy.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna studied law at the Campus Law Center of Delhi University. He has held positions as Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and was an Advocate of the Delhi Bar Council from 1983.
His career includes serving as a Senior Permanent Advisor to the Income Tax Department and as a Permanent Advisor to the National Capital Territory of Delhi. He has also served as Additional Public Prosecutor and Amicus Curiae in criminal cases before the Delhi High Court.