NEW DELHI: Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who has contributed to several significant Supreme Court rulings—like overturning the electoral bonds scheme and supporting the abrogation of clauses of Article 370— was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He takes over from Justice DY Chandrachud, who retired on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar, and former CJI D Y Chandrachud were also present during the oath-taking ceremony.
Swearing-in-Ceremony of the Chief Justice of India Shri Justice Sanjiv Khanna at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Justice Khanna’s term will run until May 13, 2025.
The government formally announced Justice Khanna’s appointment on October 24, following a recommendation from Chief Justice Chandrachud on October 16. Justice Chandrachud received a warm farewell on his last working day, Friday, November 8, from Supreme Court judges, lawyers, and staff.
Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna?
Justice Khanna, who has served as the Supreme Court judge since January 2019, has been involved in several landmark cases, including affirming the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), overturning the electoral bonds scheme, supporting the abrogation of Article 370, and granting interim bail to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Born on May 14, 1960, and belonging to a legal family in Delhi, Justice Khanna is the son of former Delhi high court judge Justice Dev Raj Khanna and the nephew of renowned former Supreme Court judge HR Khanna. Before his appointment as Supreme Court judge on January 18, 2019, Justice Khanna practiced law for several years and later served as a judge of the Delhi high court.
His uncle, Justice HR Khanna, made headlines in 1976 when he dissented in the ADM Jabalpur case, and declared the suspension of fundamental rights during the Emergency as unconstitutional. Justice HR Khanna’s stance, which the government did not favour, prevented him from becoming Chief Justice, as Justice MH Beg was appointed instead. Justice HR Khanna was also key in establishing the basic structure doctrine in the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case.
Among Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s noteworthy rulings is his support for EVMs in elections, noting they prevent booth capturing and bogus voting. In April 2024, a bench led by Justice Khanna rejected concerns about EVM tampering and ruled against returning to paper ballots.
Justice Khanna was also part of the SC bench that struck down the electoral bonds scheme for political funding as unconstitutional and upheld the government’s 2019 decision to revoke Article 370, which had granted Jammu and Kashmir special status. He also chaired the bench that granted interim bail to Kejriwal, allowing him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections amid excise policy investigations.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna studied law at Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre. He has held roles such as executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and practiced law with the Delhi Bar Council starting in 1983.
His career includes serving as senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department and as standing counsel for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. He has also served as an additional public prosecutor and amicus curiae in criminal cases at the Delhi high court.