CJI’s looking for Amritsar haveli he visited as a child
Justice Sanjiv Khanna – who was on Monday sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India – has been trying to locate a pre-Independence building in Amritsar constructed by his grandfather Sarav Dayal.
Dayal -- a famous lawyer of his time -- had built the house in Katra Sher Singh, sources said. Unfortunately, the CJI has been unable to locate that house as the area has changed a lot, they added.
The house was set on fire during Partition but it was restored by his grandfather, before being sold in 1970.
CJI Khanna – who has fond memories of the house he visited once as a five-year-old with his father – tries to locate the house in Katra Sher Singh whenever he is in Amritsar.
Born on May 14, 1960, he was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court on January 18, 2019. Justice Khanna will have a six-month tenure as the CJI. He will retire on May 13, 2025.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Khanna on Monday at a brief swearing-in ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 10.30 am.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, outgoing CJI DY Chandrachud, ministers, sitting and former judges attended the five-minute ceremony.
After being administered the oath of office as the 51st CJI by President Murmu, the CJI went to the Supreme Court where he received a rousing welcome by lawyers, including former Attorney General and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi.
Sharing the Bench in Court 1 with Justice Manoj Misra, CJI Khanna heard 45 cases on his first day and thanked advocates and bar leaders for wishing him well. There has been a convention of the CJI recommending the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court as his successor. Only twice, it was not followed – Justice AN Ray was appointed the 14th CJI on April 25, 1973 superseding three senior-most judges and Justice MH Beg was appointed the 15th CJI on January 29, 1977 superseding Justice HR Khanna.
The majority had declared that the government could suspend fundamental rights and detain citizens without following due process during Emergency. Justice HR Khanna had resigned after the government notified the appointment of Justice HM Beg — a junior judge — as the CJI.
Son of Justice DR Khanna, a former Delhi High Court judge, Justice Sanjiv Khanna has been a part of many Constitution Bench verdicts, including the ones upholding the abrogation of Article 370 and the scrapping of electoral bonds scheme.
He headed the Bench which upheld the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections amid the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. A Bench led by him had granted interim bail to former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to enable him to campaign in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll.
