Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar takes oath as 44th Chief Justice of India

Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar on 4 January assumed the office of Chief Justice of India (CJI) as the tenure of Justice TS Thakur culminated on Tuesday.

On 19 December, President Pranab Mukherjee had cleared Justice Khehar's name for the position.

64-year old Justice Khehar, who was sworn in by President Mukherjee, will be the 44th Chief Justice of India and will hold the post for seven months.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday once again dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of Justice Khehar as the next CJI, 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 last fortnight, challenging the appointment of Justice Khehar.

On 30 December, the apex court had dismissed a plea filed by a group of lawyers, challenging the elevation of Justice Khehar as the next CJI, saying there was "no question" of him being considered ineligible for the post.

--ANI