Chief Justice of India (CJI) honorable Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud was recently honored by the residents of his ancestral village, Kanhersar, located in Pune district. Villagers gathered in large numbers to celebrate the success of one of their own, paying tribute to CJI Chandrachud’s distinguished career and contribution to the Indian judiciary. The son of Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, India’s longest-serving Chief Justice, CJI Chandrachud was warmly welcomed and felicitated by his fellow villagers in a heartfelt ceremony.
Prior to this, CJI Chandrachud was formally welcomed at the Raj Bhavan by President of the Pune Bar Association, Advocate Santosh Khamkar . The event saw participation from legal luminaries and members of the Bar, who expressed their admiration for the CJI’s commitment to modernizing India’s legal system and his progressive approach to justice.
CJI Chandrachud has recently made headlines for leading several judicial reforms. One of his most significant contributions has been in the symbolic update of the Supreme Court, where the iconic blindfold of Lady Justice has been removed. This change, championed by CJI Chandrachud, signifies the idea that “law is no longer blind.” The statue, located in the judges’ library of the Supreme Court, highlights the evolving nature of justice in India and marks a step away from the country’s colonial past.
In the earlier statue, ‘Lady Justice’ held a sword in one hand as a symbol of punishment, while the other hand held scales that represented fairness. In the new statue, the sword has been replaced by the Constitution, while the scales remain unchanged. The change symbolises that justice in India is dispensed according to the Constitution which ensures equality for all.