Justice Tirath Singh Thakur was sworn in as the 43rd Chief Justice of India by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday, reported PTI. Justice Thakur is the senior-most judge of the apex court, and took over from Chief Justice HL Dattu, who finished his term on Wednesday. Justice Thakur will serve as Chief Justice for a little more than one year, and is expected to step down on January 4, 2017.
As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Thakur had headed the bench that delivered the verdict to reform the BCCI amid allegations of betting and the spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League. He had also headed the bench that ordered an investigation into the multi-crore Ponzi scheme known popularly as the Saradha scam. He had also heard the multi-crore rupee NRHM scam, in which ex-Uttar Pradesh minister Babu Singh Kushwaha is an accused along with other politicians and bureaucrats.
Justice Thakur was appointed the acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on April 9, 2008 and on August 11, 2008, took over as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He started working a judge of the Supreme Court on November 17, 2009.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!