Reports indicate that Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai is set to assume the position of Chief Justice of India (CJI), with his oath-taking scheduled for next month. Justice Gavai will take office as the 52nd CJI of the nation and will serve for a term of six months as the head of the apex court.
Current Chief Justice, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, is set to retire on May 13, a day before turning 65. Following his retirement, Justice Gavai, the second most senior judge in the Supreme Court, will take over the position.
Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Justice Gavai began his legal career after enrolling as an advocate on March 16, 1985. He initially practiced under the late Bar. Raja S Bhonsale, the former Advocate General and High Court Judge, before branching out on his own from 1987 to 1990 at the Bombay High Court. Later, he primarily practiced at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, specializing in Constitutional and Administrative Law. He also served as Standing Counsel for various municipal corporations and Amravati University.
Justice Gavai was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003, and became a permanent Judge on November 12, 2005. Throughout his tenure, he presided over numerous cases at the Mumbai seat and its benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji. In 2019, he was elevated to the Supreme Court, and his retirement is set for November 23, 2025.
