Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari elevated to Supreme Court by President

New Delhi, Jan 16: President Ram Nath Kovind Wednesday appointed Justice Sanjiv Khanna, judge of Delhi High Court, and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court to be a judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.

CJI Ranjan Gogoi led collegium had recommended them to be appointed as Supreme Court judge on January 10, 2018.

Former Delhi High Court judge Kailash Gambhir had written to President of India against the recommendation of the Collegium to elevate Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dinesh Maheshwari to the Supreme Court and urged President to prevent "another historical blunder" from being committed.

In his letter, Gambhir claimed that the collegium's decision has sent shockwaves across the legal and judicial fraternity. He urged Kovind to "prevent another historical blunder" from being committed.

The former judge said that elevating Khanna would mean superseding three judges senior to him in the Delhi High Court and 30 judges senior to him across the country, including chief justices. This was "appalling and outrageous" and casts aspersions on the intellect, merit and integrity of all the judges who have been superseded, he added.