NEW DELHI: Justice Sanjiv Khanna will take over as the country's 51st Chief Justice on November 11. President Droupadi Murmu announced the appointment of the second senior judge of the Supreme Court on Thursday night. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud will retire on November 10. Chandrachud had earlier sent a recommendation to the central government suggesting Sanjiv Khanna as his successor.

“In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, Hon’ble President, after consultation with Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as Chief Justice of India with effect from 11th November, 2024.” said Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal through social media platform X.

Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s tenure will be valid till May 13, 2025; that is 183 days. Justice Sanjiv Khanna was elevated as a Supreme Court judge in January 2019. Born on 14 May 1960 in Delhi, Justice Sanjiv graduated in Law from Delhi University and later enrolled as an advocate in 1983. On 24 June 2005, he became a judge of the Delhi High Court.

He was part of many crucial judgments in the Supreme Court that included the central government's decision to abrogate Article 370 to grant bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor case. Justice Sanjiv’s father Devraj Khanna was a former judge of Delhi High Court.