Justice JS Khehar to succeed TS Thakur as next CJI
NEW DELHI : Chief Justice of India TS Thakur on Tuesday named Jagdish Singh Khehar as his successor.As per the memorandum of procedure, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had written to Justice Thakur to name his successor in November.
Replying to this, Justice Thakur named his number two as the next CJI. Khehar, who will also be the first Sikh to serve as CJI, will be sworn-in by President Pranab Mukherjee on January 04, 2017.With his swearing-in, Khehar will become the 44th Chief Justice of India.
While Justice Thakur will retire on January 3 next, Justice Khehar will have a brief eight-month tenure and would relinquish CJI office on August 27 next. Notably, Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar had led the five-judge constitution bench in the Supreme Court which had struck down the controversial NJAC Act for appointment of judges.
Justice Khehar has also headed a bench which had set aside the imposition of President’s Rule in Arunachal Pradesh in January this year. He was also a part of the bench which sent Sahara chief Subrata Roy to jail while hearing the matter relating to the refund of money invested by people in his two companies.
Justice Khehar also headed a bench which recently gave a significant verdict holding that the principal of ‘equal pay for equal work’ has to be made applicable to those engaged as daily wagers, casual and contractual employees who perform the same duties as the regulars.
While the turf war between the judiciary and the executive over the appointment of judges for higher judiciary has intensified, Justice Khehar on the occasion of Constitution Day on November 26 had responded to the tirade from Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi by saying that the judiciary was working within its “lakshmanrekha”.
“Judiciary is mandated to shield all persons, citizens and non-citizens alike, against discrimination and abuse of State power. Liberty, equality and dignity of citizen have flourished substantially in India due to the pro-active role of judiciary in the country,” he had said.
