Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on Wednesday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Gavai, who succeeded CJI Sanjiv Khanna.
Justice Gavai is the first Buddhist CJI and only the second from the Dalit community, after former CJI KG Balakrishnan who held office in 2007, to occupy the highest judicial office in the country. Justice Gavai has also made it clear that he will not take any post-retirement assignments.
When asked if he will join politics like his father, Justice Gavai said, “No political ambitions. I have decided not to take any post retirement assignments or post. Any other assignment is also below CJI post, Governor is also below CJI post.”
Justice Gavai is the son of RS Gavai, a noted politician, who was the Governor of Bihar and Kerala. He belongs to a family deeply engaged in promoting the ideals of BR Ambedkar. His father was a prominent Ambedkarite and a former Member of Parliament.
Born in a Maharashtra village, Justice Gavai has said he still loves to visit his village thrice a year, especially on his late father’s birth and death anniversary and during the annual fair at his village.
Born on November 24, 1960 at Amravati, he joined Bar on March 16, 1985 and started his practice at Bombay High Court and before Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court.
He was appointed as the government pleader and Public Prosecutor for the Nagpur Bench on January 17, 2000. He was elevated as Additional Judge of the High Court on November 14, 2003 and became a permanent Judge of the Bombay High Court in November 2005.
Justice Gavai was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019.
In the last six years, he was a part of around 700 benches dealing with matters pertaining to a variety of subjects, including constitutional and administrative law, civil law, criminal law, commercial disputes, arbitration law, electricity law, education matters, environmental law, etc.
Justice Gavai will retire on November 23, 2025. (ANI)
