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Justice Sanjiv Khanna Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Justice Sanjiv Khanna Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

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Education: LLB

Marital Status: Married

Age: 65 Years

Bio/Wiki
Profession Lawyer
Famous for Being the 51st Chief Justice of India
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.) in centimeters**- 175 cm**
in meters**- 1.75 m**
in feet & inches**- 5’ 9”**
Weight (approx.) in kilograms**- 70 kg**
in pounds**- 154 lbs**
Eye Colour Black
Hair Colour Black
Judicial Service
Service Years 1983-2025
Designation(s) • Additional Public Prosecutor for Delhi Government
• Senior Standing Counsel for the Income Tax Department
• Civil Counsel (2004-2005)
• Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court (2005-2006)
• Permanent Judge of the Delhi High Court (2006-2019)
• Judge of the Supreme Court of India (2019-2025)
• Chief Justice of India (11 November 2024 - 13 May 2025)
Notable Judgement(s) Power to Grant Divorce Directly
In the case of Shilpa Sailesh v Varun Sreenivasan, Justice Khanna concurred with the majority view that the Supreme Court possesses the authority to directly grant a divorce under Article 142 of the Indian Constitution. He opined that in order to deliver comprehensive justice, the Supreme Court may grant a divorce based on the grounds of an 'irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.'

RTI Judgement
In the case of Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Supreme Court of India v Subhash Chandra Agarwal, a five-judge bench, including Justice Khanna, upheld the majority view that the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) is subject to Right to Information (RTI) requests; however, it was also emphasized that such requests would be subjected to careful scrutiny, ensuring that any information provided does not infringe upon the Right to Privacy of the Judges. He quoted,

"Judicial independence and accountability go hand in hand as accountability ensures, and is a facet of judicial independence.”
Notable Dissent(s) Freedom of Speech
In the case of Amish Devgan vs Union of India, a two-judge bench consisting of Justice Khanna and AM Khanwilkar declined to quash the FIRs filed against news anchor Amish Devgan regarding the use of the term 'Lootera Chishti'; however, the bench provided protection from arrest to Devgan and directed him to cooperate with the ongoing investigation until its conclusion. He wrote in his judgement,

"Article 19(1)(a) cannot be pressed into service for defeating the fundamental right guaranteed by Article 21 as if one claims to right to speech, the others have the right to listen or decline to listen.”

Revising Arbitration Fee
In the case of Revising Fee Scale for Arbitrators, Justice Khanna rendered a dissenting judgment, expressing his view that in the absence of any specific agreement between the parties, the arbitral tribunal has the authority to determine a reasonable fee.
Personal Life
Date of Birth 14 May 1960 (Saturday)
Age (as of 2025) 65 Years
Birthplace Delhi, India
Zodiac sign Taurus
Nationality Indian
School Modern School (DPS), Barakhamba Road, Delhi
College/University • St. Stephen's College, Delhi University
• Campus Law Centre, Delhi University
Educational Qualification • Graduation (completed in 1980)
• LLB
Relationships & More
Marital Status Married
Family
Wife/Spouse Name not known
Children Son- One (name not known)
Daughter- None
Parents Father- Justice Dev Raj Khanna (Delhi High Court Judge, rtrd in 1985, died in 2004)
Mother- Saroj Khanna (Hindi lecturer at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University)
Siblings Brother- One
Sister- None
Other Relatives Maternal Uncle: Justice Hans Raj Khanna (also known as H. R. Khanna)
Money Factor
Salary (as CJI) Rs. 2.80 lakh + other allowances
Assets/Properties • Three-bedroom DDA (Delhi Development Authority) flat with a garage in South Delhi
• 326 square yards house (in partnership with his brother) in East Delhi
• Ancestral house in Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh

Some Lesser Known Facts About Justice Sanjiv Khanna

  • Justice Sanjiv Khanna is an Indian lawyer who was appointed as a Judge of the Delhi High Court in June 2005. He subsequently served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India from January 2019.

  • He was interested in law since his childhood as his father and uncle were Judges. His uncle, Justice H. R. Khanna, gained significant attention for his dissenting judgment in the ADM Jabalpur v. Shiv Kant Shukla case, commonly referred to as the Habeas Corpus case, in 1973. In his dissent, Justice H. R. Khanna criticized the denial of basic human rights during the Emergency period and upheld the importance of the Basic Structure Doctrine. His dissenting judgment displeased the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi . Justice H. R. Khanna was later superseded by Justice H. M. Beg. As a form of protest against this decision, Justice H. R. Khanna resigned from the court in early 1977.

  • After enrolling in the Bar Council of Delhi as an advocate, he commenced his law practice in 1983. Initially, he practised at Tis Hazari Court in Delhi, and after gaining experience over the years, he shifted his practice to the Delhi High Court.

    Justice Sanjiv Khanna with other advocates

  • He had a diverse practice, specializing in writ petitions for public law matters, direct tax appeals, income tax prosecutions, arbitration cases, commercial suits, environmental and pollution laws matters, medical negligence cases before consumer forums, and company law cases before the Company Law Board.

  • He was also involved with various esteemed institutions such as the Delhi Judicial Academy, the Delhi International Arbitration Centre, and the mediation centres at district courts.

    Justice Sanjiv Khanna during a book launch

  • After the retirement of DY Chandrachud in 2024, Justice Sanjiv Khanna is anticipated to assume the position of Chief Justice of India.

  • He did not hold the position of Chief Justice of any High Court before his appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.

  • He is the seventh judge to be directly elevated to the Supreme Court from their parent High Court since 1997. The six judges who preceded him in this regard are Justices S Abdul Nazeer, Ranjana Prakash Desai, Lokeshwar Singh Panta, G P Mathur, Ruma Pal, and S S Quadri.

    Justice Sanjiv Khanna during his stint at Delhi High Court

  • On his first day as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Sanjiv Khanna had the honour of sitting in the same courtroom from where his late uncle, Justice H. R. Khanna, retired.

  • His elevation to the Supreme Court of India resulted in the supersession of 32 Judges of the Delhi High Court, leading to criticism and outrage among the affected judges. check sources Hindustan Times

Retired judge of Delhi High Court Justice Kailash Gambhir has written to President Ram Nath Kovind, objecting to the decision of collegium which recommended elevation of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari to the Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/zblIFuy2rZ

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2019

References/Sources