New Delhi [India], Jan. 4 : Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar will today assume the office of Chief Justice of India (CJI), as the tenure of Justice T S Thakur ended yesterday.
On December 19, President Pranab Mukherjee had cleared the name of Justice Khehar. Justice Khehar, 64, who will be sworn in by President Mukherjee, will be the 44th Chief Justice of India and will hold the post of seven months.
The Supreme Court yesterday once again dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of Justice Khehar as the next CJI, saying, it is in the public interest that the 'curtain should be brought down'.
The apex court had dismissed two similar pleas filed in the past fortnight, challenging the appointment of Justice Khehar.
On December 30, the apex court had dismissed a plea. filed by a group of lawyers, challenging the elevation of Justice Khehar as next CJI, saying 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.
Source: ANI
