Today( on 13th May),Supreme Court Justice Sanjiv Khanna recuses himself from hearing AAP leader Satyendar Jain’s case due to personal connections. The dispute involves corruption allegations by Dr. S.C. Vats, escalating to the High Court after the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections.
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NEW DELHI: Today( on 13th May), at the Supreme Court, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the future Chief Justice of India (CJI), has opted out of hearing a plea involving Satyendar Jain, a prominent leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former Delhi minister. This legal dispute arises from allegations leveled by Dr. S.C. Vats, the chairman of the Governing Council of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, against Jain, who emerged victorious against Vats in the Shakurbasti constituency during the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections. The allegations encompass corruption and violations of the model code of conduct, leading to a lawsuit that has now escalated to the High Court.
During today’s scheduled hearing for this case, set to be presided over by Justice Khanna, he promptly recused himself upon the case’s presentation. Citing-
“I cannot preside over this petition… my son attended that college,” Justice Khanna stated as he recused himself from the case during today’s scheduled hearing.
Vats also alleged that Jain received undue assistance from the assistant election officer. The objections raised by Vats were upheld by the Joint Registrar of the Delhi High Court, prompting Jain to file an appeal in chambers. Subsequently, a single-judge bench of the High Court ruled in favor of Vats, prompting Jain to seek relief from the Supreme Court. This eventually led to the postponed hearing under Justice Khanna.
Justice Khanna, who ascended to the Supreme Court in January 2019 from the Delhi High Court, is slated to assume the role of Chief Justice of India on November 11, 2024, following the retirement of the current CJI, D.Y. Chandrachud. However, his tenure at the helm will be notably brief, concluding on May 13, 2025.
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