New Delhi, May 13: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, who retires on Tuesday, has announced that he will not take up any post-retirement assignment but may consider engagements related to law. In an informal interaction with the media ahead of his departure, CJI Khanna touched upon several issues, including the controversy surrounding Justice Yashwant Varma.
Referring to the situation involving a large sum of cash found at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi, CJI Khanna remarked, “The judiciary sees pluses and minuses and decides the issue rationally. When we do that, we make decisions. The future tells you whether what you did was correct or not.”
CJI Khanna confirmed that, as part of the in-house procedure, he had forwarded the three-member committee’s report along with Justice Varma’s response to the President and Prime Minister of India.
In a ceremonial farewell held in Court No. 1 of the Supreme Court, senior members of the Bar and fellow judges paid glowing tributes to Justice Khanna’s legacy. He was joined on the ceremonial bench by CJI-designate Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar.
Justice Gavai praised CJI Khanna’s work, saying, “His judgments reflect clarity, reason, and a deep sensitivity to human rights. The initiative to disclose judges’ assets and liabilities is a testament to his commitment to transparency. He is a gentleman in every sense—calm, humble, and dignified.”
Attorney General R. Venkataramani described Khanna’s decisions as “clear and simple,” while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta remarked that his illustrious uncle, Justice H.R. Khanna, would be proud of him.
Justice H.R. Khanna, remembered for his courageous stance during the Emergency, famously upheld civil liberties, an act that led to him being passed over for the post of CJI. He resigned from the bench shortly thereafter.
Supreme Court Bar Association President and senior advocate Kapil Sibal also offered rich praise: “Your courage, transparency, and encouragement to young lawyers are unforgettable. You are a rare streak in the sky—someone who sets the highest standards for the judiciary.”
Born on May 14, 1960, Justice Sanjiv Khanna hails from a family steeped in legal tradition. His father, Dev Raj Khanna, was a Delhi High Court judge, and his mother, Saroj Khanna, was a lecturer at Lady Shri Ram College. His grandfather, Sarav Dayal, was a prominent advocate who served on the Congress Committee investigating the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
A graduate of Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, Khanna enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983. He began his legal practice in the Delhi District Courts before focusing on the Delhi High Court. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court on June 24, 2005, and became a Permanent Judge on February 20, 2006. He was elevated to the Supreme Court of India on January 18, 2019.
