M A I N   N E W S

Justice Dattu sworn in as CJI

New Delhi, September 28
Justice HL Dattu, who has been heading the Bench monitoring probe into the 2G scam, was today sworn in as the new Chief Justice of India by President Pranab Mukherjee. He will have a tenure of 14 months.

President Pranab Mukherjee greets CJI HL Dattu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Sunday. Tribune photo:Manas Ranjan Bhui

Justice Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu (63), the senior-most Supreme Court judge, took oath at a brief ceremony held at the chandeliered Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will retire on December 2, 2015.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Ravi Shankar Prasad, M Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar and BJP veteran L K Advani were among those present at the ceremony.

Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Rajeev Shulka were the only prominent opposition leaders who attended the programme. Justice Lodha, who retired yesterday as the CJI, senior judges of the Supreme Court, High Court, retired judges and members of the Bar were also present.

Justice Dattu has been heading the Bench monitoring investigations into the 2G spectrum scam.

“I will request for blessing of all citizens of this country to give me courage and confidence to take this institution of mine to the highest stride,” he had said earlier this month when the file relating to his appointment reached the Prime Minister’s Office. “Mine is the best institution in the world,” he had said. — PTI