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by IANS |
New Delhi, Jan 18: Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjiv Khanna were on Friday sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court.
They were administered the oath by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
With their swearing-in, the apex court now has 28 judges against its sanctioned strength of 31.
While Justice Maheshwari was seated on the bench headed by the Chief Justice Gogoi, Justice Khanna was seated on the bench headed by Justice S.A. Bobde.
Before their elevation to the top court, Justice Maheshwari was the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court and Justice Khanna was a judge in the Delhi High Court.
President Ram Nath Kovind appointed them as Supreme Court judges on Wednesday after the government accepted a collegium's recommendation on their elevation.
The collegium's decision of January 10 triggered a controversy as it had revoked its December 12, 2018, decision to recommend the elevation of Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajendra Menon to the Supreme Court.
Justice Khanna was elevated to Supreme Court superseding three senior-most judges of Delhi High Court and he stood at number 33 of the all-India seniority of the High Court judges.
Justice Khanna will become the Chief Justice of India on November 11, 2024 after then Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud would retire as CJI on November 10, 2024.
Justice Khanna is nephew of legendry Supreme Court judge, Justice H.R.Khanna who earned the wrath of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for holding, in his dissenting judgment in ADM Jabalpur case, that fundamental rights could not be suspended during Emergency.
Justice Khanna was superseded by Justice M.H. Beg for the post of the Chief Justice of India in January 1977.
