SC trashes plea against elevation of Justice Khehar as CJI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday once again dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of Justice J S Khehar as the next Chief Justice of India, 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 as the next CJI.

Justice Khehar will assume the office of the CJI on Wednesday as the tenure of incumbent Justice T S Thakur ends on Tuesday. On December 19, President Pranab Mukherjee had cleared the name of Justice Khehar. “Two petitions have been filed on the same grounds and had been dismissed. It is the time when we put the issue at rest. It is in the public interest that the curtain should be brought down,” a bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said. The bench dismissed the present plea filed by one Tejsing Ashok Rao Gaikwad on the ground that similar pleas have been earlier heard by the apex court and dismissed.