The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking the quashing of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar's appointment as the next Chief Justice of India.
The vacation bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud dismissed as "without merit" the petition by the National Lawyers Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms and others.
"No question of Justice Khehar usurping power through National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) judgment, or being ineligible for appointment as Chief Justice of India. There is no merit in the plea," observed the apex court.
The lawyers' body- National Lawyers' Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms- had moved the apex court seeking a stay on the appointment of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar as the next Chief Justice of India.
In a civil writ petition filed in the Supreme Court, the lawyers' organisation have stated that Justice J Chelameshwar, who is senior to Justice Khehar, be appointed as the 44th Chief Justice of India.
The petition also argued that Justice Khehar is harsh on the smallest of mistakes by lawyers and openly favours high-profile lawyers.
President Pranab Mukherjee on December 19 appointed Justice Khehar as the 44th Chief Justice of India. He will be sworn-in on January 4, 2017. The incumbent Chief Justice T.S. Thakur retires on January 3.
IANS inputs
