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Supreme Court of India

National Supreme Courts (Last Resort)

The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial authority in the Republic of India, established under the Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950. It sits in New Delhi, holds original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction, and is empowered under Article 32 of the Constitution to enforce fundamental rights directly, a power the Court itself has described as part of the Constitution's basic structure. Its most consequential doctrinal development is the basic structure doctrine, announced in Kesavananda Bharati v State of Kerala (1973), which holds that Parliament's power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 does not extend to altering the Constitution's basic structure, a limit found nowhere in the constitutional text itself but read into it by the Court as implicit in the nature of a written constitution. India's legal system blends common law procedure and precedent, inherited from British colonial administration, with substantial areas of personal law drawn from religious and customary sources for matters of marriage, inheritance and family life, which is why comparative law scholarship generally classifies it as a mixed system rather than a pure common law one.

Facts
Founding Year
1950 1
Seat
New Delhi 1
Jurisdiction Scope
Highest court of the Republic of India, with original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction and direct enforcement of fundamental rights 1
Jurisdiction Scope
Jurisdiction Scope (category)
National 1
Jurisdiction Scope (category)
Final Court of Appeal 1
Supreme Court of India
Filter Results1 entry
Connections

Decided

Decided by the Supreme Court of India during the 1975-77 Emergency (the ADM Jabalpur habeas corpus case).

Decided by the Supreme Court of India, 1967.

Decided by the Supreme Court of India, 2017.

Source Supreme Court of India Official Website

Decided by the Supreme Court of India, 1978.

Decided by the Supreme Court of India, 1980.

Source Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (Wikipedia)

Decided by the Supreme Court of India, 1997.

Has Member

A. N. Ray, Jurists
Source A. N. Ray (Wikipedia)
Source Adarsh Sein Anand (Wikipedia)
Altamas Kabir, Jurists
Source Altamas Kabir (Wikipedia)
Source Amal Kumar Sarkar (Wikipedia)
Source Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi (Wikipedia)
Source Bhupinder Nath Kirpal (Wikipedia)
Source B. R. Gavai (Wikipedia)
Source Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha (Wikipedia)
Source Bijan Kumar Mukherjea (Wikipedia)
Source Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud (Wikipedia)
Source E. S. Venkataramiah (Wikipedia)
Fathima Beevi, Jurists
Source Wikipedia: Fathima Beevi
Source Gopal Ballav Pattanaik (Wikipedia)
H. L. Dattu, Jurists
Source H. L. Dattu (Wikipedia)
Source H. J. Kania (Wikipedia)
Source Jagdish Sharan Verma (Wikipedia)
Source Jagdish Singh Khehar (Wikipedia)
Source Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah (Wikipedia)
Source K. G. Balakrishnan (Wikipedia)
Source Kailas Nath Wanchoo (Wikipedia)
Source Koka Subba Rao (Wikipedia)
Source Lalit Mohan Sharma (Wikipedia)
M. H. Kania, Jurists
Source M. H. Kania (Wikipedia)
Source Mohammad Hidayatullah (Wikipedia)
Source M. N. Venkatachaliah (Wikipedia)
Source M. Patanjali Sastri (Wikipedia)
Source Madan Mohan Punchhi (Wikipedia)
Source Mehr Chand Mahajan (Wikipedia)
Source Mirza Hameedullah Beg (Wikipedia)
Source Mohammad Hidayatullah (Wikipedia)
N. V. Ramana, Jurists
Source N. V. Ramana (Wikipedia)
Source Nagendra Singh (Wikipedia)
Source P. B. Gajendragadkar (Wikipedia)
Source P. N. Bhagwati (Wikipedia)
P. Sathasivam, Jurists
Source P. Sathasivam (Wikipedia)
Source Rajendra Mal Lodha (Wikipedia)
Source Ramesh Chandra Lahoti (Wikipedia)
Ranjan Gogoi, Jurists
Source Ranjan Gogoi (Wikipedia)
Source Rohinton Fali Nariman (Wikipedia)
Source S. Rajendra Babu (Wikipedia)
Source Sam Piroj Bharucha, Wikipedia
Source S. H. Kapadia (Wikipedia)
Source S. M. Sikri (Wikipedia)
Source Sharad Bobde (Wikipedia)
Source Sudhi Ranjan Das (Wikipedia)
Surya Kant, Jurists
Source Surya Kant (Wikipedia)
Source T. S. Thakur (Wikipedia)
Source Uday Umesh Lalit (Wikipedia)
Source V. R. Krishna Iyer (Wikipedia)
Vikram Nath, Jurists
Source Vikram Nath (Wikipedia)
Source V. N. Khare (Wikipedia)
Source Y. V. Chandrachud (Wikipedia)
Source Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal (Wikipedia)

In Legal System

Source Major Legal Systems in the World TodayRene David and John E.C. Brierley
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Supreme Court of India Official Website
Wikipedia: Supreme Court of India
Lead section, first sentence
Quote, Lead section, first sentence
The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judicial authority and the highest court in India.
View the Source
Wikidata: Supreme Court of India
Wikidata Q213380, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Major Legal Systems in the World Today
Rene David and John E.C. Brierley, Stevens and Sons, 1985In Legal System: Mixed Systems
Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (Wikipedia)
Decided: Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India
A. N. Ray (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributorsHas Member: A. N. Ray, Infobox
Quote, Has Member: A. N. Ray, Infobox
Judge of Supreme Court of India
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Surya Kant (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: Surya Kant, Infobox
Quote, Has Member: Surya Kant, Infobox
Judge of Supreme Court of India
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Sam Piroj Bharucha, Wikipedia
Has Member: Sam Piroj Bharucha, Infobox
Quote, Has Member: Sam Piroj Bharucha, Infobox
Judge of Supreme Court of India
View the Source
Vikram Nath (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributorsHas Member: Vikram Nath, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Vikram Nath, Lead section
Vikram Nath (born 24 September 1962) is a judge of the Supreme Court of India.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Fathima Beevi
Has Member: Fathima Beevi, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Fathima Beevi, Lead section
Fathima Beevi (30 April 1927-23 November 2023) was an Indian judge who was a justice of the Supreme Court of India.
View the Source
Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: D. Y. Chandrachud, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: D. Y. Chandrachud, Lead section
He was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of India in May 2016.
View the Source
Nagendra Singh (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: Nagendra Singh, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Nagendra Singh, Lead section
Pathak (1989-1991) the 18th Chief Justice of India, and Dalveer Bhandari (2012, ), former judge of the Supreme Court of India.
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Y. V. Chandrachud (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: Y. V. Chandrachud, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Y. V. Chandrachud, Lead section
Born in Pune in the Bombay Presidency, he was first appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of India on 28 August 1972 and is the longest-serving Chief Justice in India's history at 7 years and 4 months.
View the Source
Ranjan Gogoi (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: Ranjan Gogoi, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Ranjan Gogoi, Lead section
He previously served as a judge of the Supreme Court of India from 2012 to 2018.
View the Source
Rohinton Fali Nariman (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: Rohinton Fali Nariman, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Rohinton Fali Nariman, Lead section
Rohinton Fali Nariman (born 13 August 1956) is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India.
View the Source
Mehr Chand Mahajan (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Mehr Chand Mahajan, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Mehr Chand Mahajan, Lead section
Mehr Chand Mahajan (23 December 1889-11 December 1967) was an Indian jurist and politician who was the third chief justice of the Supreme Court of India.
View the Source
M. N. Venkatachaliah (Wikipedia)
Has Member: M. N. Venkatachaliah, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: M. N. Venkatachaliah, Lead section
He was elevated as Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 5 October 1987.
View the Source
K. G. Balakrishnan (Wikipedia)
Has Member: K. G. Balakrishnan, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: K. G. Balakrishnan, Lead section
Konakuppakatil Gopinathan Balakrishnan (born 12 May 1945) is an Indian judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India from 2007 to 2010, and later as chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of India.
View the Source
H. L. Dattu (Wikipedia)
Has Member: H. L. Dattu, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: H. L. Dattu, Lead section
Before his elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court of India on 17 December 2008, he had served as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court and Chhattisgarh High Court.
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N. V. Ramana (Wikipedia)
Has Member: N. V. Ramana, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: N. V. Ramana, Lead section
Previously, he was a judge on the Supreme Court of India, chief justice of Delhi High Court and an acting chief justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court.
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Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha, Lead section
Sinha served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India from 1 October 1959 to 31 January 1964.
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S. M. Sikri (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Sarv Mittra Sikri, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Sarv Mittra Sikri, Lead section
He previously served as the first Advocate-General for Punjab, before becoming the first judge of the Supreme Court of India, to be directly appointed from the Bar.
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E. S. Venkataramiah (Wikipedia)
Has Member: E. S. Venkataramiah, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: E. S. Venkataramiah, Lead section
On 8 March 1979, he was appointed as judge of the Supreme Court of India, and became the Chief Justice of India in June 1989.
View the Source
Gopal Ballav Pattanaik (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Gopal Ballav Pattanaik, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Gopal Ballav Pattanaik, Lead section
Gopal Ballav Pattanaik (born 19 December 1937) is an Indian lawyer and later a jurist who served for 19 years on the bench of the Odisha High Court as a permanent judge, as chief justice of Patna High Court, judge of the Supreme Court of India and as the 32nd Chief Justice of India.
View the Source
V. N. Khare (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Vishweshwar Nath Khare, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Vishweshwar Nath Khare, Lead section
He was a judge of the Supreme Court of India from 21 March 1997 before he was elevated to the post of Chief Justice.
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Jagdish Singh Khehar (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Jagdish Singh Khehar, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Jagdish Singh Khehar, Lead section
He has been a judge in Supreme Court of India from 13 September 2011 to 27 August 2017 upon superannuation.
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Sharad Bobde (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: Sharad Arvind Bobde, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Sharad Arvind Bobde, Lead section
He had a tenure of eight years in the Supreme Court of India and retired on 23 April 2021.
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Koka Subba Rao (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: Koka Subba Rao, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Koka Subba Rao, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Koka Subba Rao (15 July 1902-6 May 1976) was the ninth Chief Justice of India (1966-1967). He also served as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh
View the Source
Mohammad Hidayatullah (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Has Member: Mohammad Hidayatullah, Wikipedia lead paragraph
    as interim President of India in 1969. He concurrently served as Chief Justice of India from 1968 to 1970 and then as Vice President of India fro
  • Has Member: M. Hidayatullah, Wikipedia lead paragraph
    as interim President of India in 1969. He concurrently served as Chief Justice of India from 1968 to 1970 and then as Vice President of India fro
View the Source
P. N. Bhagwati (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: P. N. Bhagwati, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: P. N. Bhagwati, Wikipedia lead paragraph
1921-15 June 2017) was an Indian jurist, who served as the 17th Chief Justice of India, serving from 12 July 1985 until his retirement on 20 Dec
View the Source
H. J. Kania (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Harilal Jekisundas Kania, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Harilal Jekisundas Kania, Wikipedia lead paragraph
"H. J." Kania (3 November 1890-6 November 1951) was the first Chief Justice of India. He served as the Chief Justice of India from 1950 until
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M. Patanjali Sastri (Wikipedia)
Has Member: M. Patanjali Sastri, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: M. Patanjali Sastri, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Patanjali Sastri (4 January 1889-16 March 1963) was the second Chief Justice of India, serving in the post from 7 November 1951 to 3 January 19
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P. B. Gajendragadkar (Wikipedia)
Has Member: P. B. Gajendragadkar, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: P. B. Gajendragadkar, Wikipedia lead paragraph
1901-12 June 1981) was an Indian judge, who served as the 7th Chief Justice of India, from February 1964 to March 1966.
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Kailas Nath Wanchoo (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Kailas Nath Wanchoo, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Kailas Nath Wanchoo, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Kailas Nath Wanchoo (25 February 1903-14 August 1988) was the tenth Chief Justice of India. He was born in Allahabad into a Kashmiri Pandit family a
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M. H. Kania (Wikipedia)
Has Member: M. H. Kania, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: M. H. Kania, Wikipedia lead paragraph
1927-1 February 2016) was an Indian judge who served as the 23rd Chief Justice of India, serving from 13 December 1991 until his retirement on 17
View the Source
Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi, Wikipedia lead paragraph
(25 March 1932-2 March 2023) was an Indian judge who was the 26th Chief Justice of India. After serving as a judge in the Gujarat High Court, Ahma
View the Source
Jagdish Sharan Verma (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Jagdish Sharan Verma, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Jagdish Sharan Verma, Wikipedia lead paragraph
1933-22 April 2013) was an Indian jurist who served as the 27th Chief Justice of India from 25 March 1997 to 18 January 1998. He was the chairma
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Adarsh Sein Anand (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Adarsh Sein Anand, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Adarsh Sein Anand, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Adarsh Sein Anand (1 November 1936-1 December 2017) was the 29th Chief Justice of India, serving from 10 October 1998 to 31 October 2001.
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Altamas Kabir (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Altamas Kabir, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Altamas Kabir, Wikipedia lead paragraph
2017) was an Indian lawyer and judge who served as the 39th Chief Justice of India.
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P. Sathasivam (Wikipedia)
Has Member: P. Sathasivam, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: P. Sathasivam, Wikipedia lead paragraph
27 April 1949) is a retired Indian judge who served as the 40th Chief Justice of India, holding the office from 2013 to 2014. On retirement from
View the Source
Uday Umesh Lalit (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Uday Umesh Lalit, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Uday Umesh Lalit, Wikipedia lead paragraph
lawyer and former Supreme Court judge, who served as the 49th Chief Justice of India. Prior to his elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court,
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Bijan Kumar Mukherjea (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Bijan Kumar Mukherjea, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Bijan Kumar Mukherjea, Wikipedia lead paragraph
1891-22 February 1956) was an Indian judge, who served as the 4th Chief Justice of India. He was in office from 22 December 1954 to 31 January 195
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Sudhi Ranjan Das (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Sudhi Ranjan Das, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Sudhi Ranjan Das, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Sudhi Ranjan Das (1 October 1894-18 September 1977) was the 5th Chief Justice of India, serving from 1 February 1956 to 30 September 1959. Das also
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Amal Kumar Sarkar (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Amal Kumar Sarkar, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Amal Kumar Sarkar, Wikipedia lead paragraph
অমল কুমার সরকার) (29 June 1901-18 December 2001) was the eighth Chief Justice of India, from 16 March 1966 up to his retirement on 29 June 1966.
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Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Chhotalal Shah (22 January 1906-4 January 1991) was the twelfth Chief Justice of India from 17 December 1970 until his retirement on 21 January
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Mirza Hameedullah Beg (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Mirza Hameedullah Beg, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Mirza Hameedullah Beg, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Beg (M. H. Beg) (22 February 1913-19 November 1988) was the 15th Chief Justice of India, serving from January 1977 to February 1978.
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Lalit Mohan Sharma (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Lalit Mohan Sharma, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Lalit Mohan Sharma, Wikipedia lead paragraph
1928-3 November 2008) was an Indian judge, who served as the 24th Chief Justice of India, serving for 85 days, from 18 November 1992 until 11 Febr
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Madan Mohan Punchhi (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Madan Mohan Punchhi, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Madan Mohan Punchhi, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Madan Mohan Punchhi (10 October 1933-17 June 2015) was the 28th Chief Justice of India from 18 January 1998 until his retirement on 9 October 1998.
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Bhupinder Nath Kirpal (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Bhupinder Nath Kirpal, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Bhupinder Nath Kirpal, Wikipedia lead paragraph
(born 8 November 1937) is a retired Indian judge who was the 31st Chief Justice of India, serving from 6 May 2002 until his retirement on 7 Novemb
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S. Rajendra Babu (Wikipedia)
Has Member: S. Rajendra Babu, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: S. Rajendra Babu, Wikipedia lead paragraph
1 June 1939) is a retired Indian judge, who served as the 34th Chief Justice of India. He also served as the chairperson of National Human Righ
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Ramesh Chandra Lahoti (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Ramesh Chandra Lahoti (1 November 1940-23 March 2022) was the 35th Chief Justice of India, serving from 1 June 2004 to 1 November 2005.
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Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal, Wikipedia lead paragraph
1942-3 July 2015) was an Indian jurist, who served as the 36th Chief Justice of India.
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S. H. Kapadia (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: Sarosh Homi Kapadia, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Sarosh Homi Kapadia, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Sarosh Homi Kapadia (29 September 1947-4 January 2016) was the 38th Chief Justice of India. He was the first chief justice born after the partition
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Rajendra Mal Lodha (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Rajendra Mal Lodha, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Rajendra Mal Lodha, Wikipedia lead paragraph
September 1949) is a retired Indian judge, who served as the 41st Chief Justice of India from 27 April 2014 to 27 September 2014. Before being ele
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T. S. Thakur (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Tirath Singh Thakur, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Tirath Singh Thakur, Wikipedia lead paragraph
(born 4 January 1952) is an Indian jurist who served as the 43rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) from 3 December 2015 to 4 January 2017. Before bein
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B. R. Gavai (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Wikipedia lead paragraph
Quote, Has Member: Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Wikipedia lead paragraph
1960) is a retired Indian jurist who had served as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) from 14 May to 23 November 2025. He is a former jud
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V. R. Krishna Iyer (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Member: V. R. Krishna Iyer, Wikipedia category: cat:Justices of the Supreme Court of IndiaView the Source
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