IANS
First published: December 30, 2016, 12:40 PM IST | Updated: 8 mins ago
File image of CJI-designate Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar. (Image: PTI)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking the quashing of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar’s appointment as the next Chief Justice of India.
The vacation bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud dismissed as “without merit” the petition by the National Lawyers Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms and others.
President Pranab Mukherjee on December 19 appointed Justice Khehar as the 44th Chief Justice of India. He will be sworn-in on January 4, 2017.
Justice Khehar, 64, will be the first Chief Justice from the Sikh community. CJI Thakur demits office on January 3. Justice Khehar will hold the tenure for over seven months till August 27 next.
Besides heading the bench in NJAC matter, Justice Khehar has also headed a bench which had set aside the imposition of President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh in January.
He was 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.