Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar on Wednesday took oath as the Chief Justice of India after the tenure of his predecessor Justice TS Thakur ended on Tuesday. The oath-taking ceremony took place at the President’s House in the National Capital.
The 64-year-old Justice Khehar is the first Chief Justice from the Sikh community and the 44th Chief Justice of India. He will hold the post of seven months
Also Read: Meet Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, India’s first Sikh Chief Justice
His name was recommended by Justice Thakur and was approved by President Pranab Mukherjee on December 19. However, there were pleas challenging his appointment. In fact, just a day before the swearing-in, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea challenging his appointment saying that it is in the public interest that the ‘curtain should be brought down’.
Delhi: Justice J.S. Khehar takes oath as the New Chief Justice of India at President House. pic.twitter.com/dHbJWygE1I
— ANI (@ANI_news) January 4, 2017
The apex court had dismissed two similar pleas filed earlier in the past fortnight as well. On December 30, a plea filed by a group of lawyers was dismissed by the apex court saying that there was “no question” of him being considered ineligible for the post.
The SC had on December 23 termed a petition filed by the lawyers’ body as “virtually infructuous” that opposed the elevation of Justice Khehar, and observed that the President has already issued a notification in this regard.
