Amid the controversy over his elevation that has led to the supersession of several judges, the appointment of Justice Sanjiv Khanna to the Supreme Court was cleared by President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday, 16 January.
The President also appointed Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari as a judge to the apex court after the recommendation by SC’s Collegium.
Speaking to BloombergQuint on the row surrounding the apex court, Former Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court VK Gupta said, “This action of the SC collegium is raising so much concern because it is unprecedented in more ways than one. First and foremost, in this recommendation, the collegium has superseded three senior judges of Delhi HC and recommended a judge who is at number four in the seniority of Delhi HC judges… This is absolutely unprecedented. It has never happened before and we all condemn it.”
Also weighing in on the controversy was BG Kolse Patil, former judge at the Bombay High Court.
The appointment of Justice Khanna was announced on a day when the chorus of protests against the collegium’s recommendation to elevate him grew louder, with Bar Council of India (BCI) saying it is “whimsical and arbitrary” and will lead to “humiliation and demoralisation” of the superseded judges.
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