Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna rules out any post-retirement role

New Delhi [India], May 13 (ANI): Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, retiring on Tuesday, said that he wouldn't accept any post-retirement post, but perhaps will do something related to law.
CJI Khanna, in an informal interaction with the media, also spoke on issues relating to the Justice Yashwant Varma controversy. "The judiciary sees pluses and minuses and decides the issue rationally," CJI Khanna said.
"When we do that, we make decisions. The future tells you whether what you did was correct or not...," said CJI Khanna when asked about Justice Varma, in whose official residence in Delhi a stack of cash was found.
CJI Khanna, regarding the in-house procedure, forwarded to the President of India and the Prime Minister of India the copy of the three-member committee report along with the letter/response received from Justice Varma.
Senior bar lawyers lauded Justice Khanna this morning when they assembled in court no 1 to bid him farewell.
CJI Khanna, who is retiring today, sat on a ceremonial bench along with CJI-designate BR Gavai and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar, who also praised him as a judge.
Justice Gavai said that CJI Khanna's decisions reflected a clear thought that was not just well-reasoned but also sensitive to human rights.
"The decision of this court to upload assets and liabilities of the judges shows his (CJI Khanna) penchant for transparency. He is a gentleman to the core in every sense. His humility and calm demeanour have always stood out," said Justice Gavai.
Attorney General for India R Venkataramani said that CJI Khanna's judgments were known for their clarity and simplicity.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta said that CJI Khanna's uncle, Justice HR Khanna, would be proud of his nephew.
Justice HR Khanna was a celebrated Supreme Court judge who was reportedly bypassed for the office of Chief Justice of India after he upheld civil liberties during the Emergency period in India. Justice HR Khanna resigned from office shortly after.
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President and senior advocate Kapil Sibal said his courage, transparency, ability to grasp the point and effort to ask juniors to argue can never be forgotten.
"You are like that streak in the sky which comes rarely. You symbolise the best in the judge. You are the one who sets standards," Sibal said.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna was born on May 14, 1960, and comes from a family with a rich legal heritage.
His father, Dev Raj Khanna, served as a judge of the Delhi High Court and his mother, Saroj Khanna, was a lecturer at Lady Shri Ram College. He is the nephew of former Supreme Court Justice HR Khanna.
His grandfather, Sarav Dayal, was a prominent advocate, served on the Indian National Congress Committee investigating the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
After completing his legal studies at Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, Justice Khanna enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in the year 1983.
After initially practising in the District Courts of Delhi, he established his practice primarily in the High Court of Delhi.
On June 24, 2005, Justice Khanna was elevated as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Delhi and was made a Permanent Judge on February 20, 2006.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court of India on January 18, 2019. (ANI)