Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai is poised to take over as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI), following the recommendation by incumbent CJI Sanjiv Khanna. The proposal was sent to the central government in line with the established convention of naming the senior-most Supreme Court judge as the next CJI, IANS reported.
Justice Gavai, currently the second-most senior judge on the Supreme Court bench, is expected to be sworn in next month. His tenure as CJI will last approximately six months.
CJI Sanjiv Khanna is set to retire on May 13, just before turning 65. Justice Gavai’s elevation maintains the tradition of seniority-based succession in the Supreme Court.
Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Justice Gavai enrolled as an advocate on March 16, 1985. He began his legal career under the mentorship of the late Bar. Raja S Bhonsale, former Advocate General and High Court Judge, and later practiced independently at the Bombay High Court. By 1990, he had shifted focus to the Nagpur Bench of the High Court, specializing in Constitutional and Administrative Law. During this time, he also served as Standing Counsel for multiple institutions, including the Nagpur and Amravati 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 served across various benches, including Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019, and is scheduled to retire on November 23, 2025.