Supreme Court Discloses Asset Details of 21 Judges Ahead of Chief Justice's Retirement

Supreme Court Asset Disclosure

On Monday, the Supreme Court revealed the asset details of 21 out of its 33 judges, including Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna.

The court indicated that the asset statements for the remaining judges will be published on its website once they are received.

This decision to disclose judges' assets was made public on April 1.

Additionally, the court shared information regarding the appointment process for judges in the higher judiciary, covering the period from November 9, 2022, to November 10, 2024.

The disclosed data revealed that Chief Justice Khanna possesses Rs 55.7 lakh in fixed deposits and bank accounts, along with Rs 1.06 crore in the Public Provident Fund. His property holdings include a three-bedroom flat from the Delhi Development Authority in South Delhi, a four-bedroom flat in the Commonwealth Games Village, and a 56% stake in an apartment located in Gurugram.

Justice BR Gavai, who is set to become the next chief justice on May 14, has inherited a house in Amravati, Maharashtra, from his father. He also owns apartments in Bandra, Mumbai, and Defence Colony, Delhi, along with agricultural land in Amravati and Nagpur districts.

Justice Gavai has reported liabilities amounting to approximately Rs 1.3 crore.

Justice Surya Kant, the third senior-most judge, co-owns residential properties and plots with his wife in Chandigarh, Panchkula, Delhi, and Gurugram. He has also listed 31 fixed deposit receipts totaling around Rs 6.03 crore, including interest.

Justice Abhay Oka jointly owns a flat on LBS Marg in Thane with his wife, as well as properties in Panchpakhadi, Thane. He has declared Rs 92.3 lakh in the Public Provident Fund, Rs 21.7 lakh in fixed deposits, and a bank balance of Rs 9.1 lakh.

Justice Vikram Nath owns a two-bedroom apartment in Noida, has inherited a bungalow in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, and possesses over 12 acres of agricultural land in Kaushambi district. His total investments are around Rs 1.5 crore.

Khanna, Gavai, Kant, Oka, and Nath form the Supreme Court Collegium, responsible for recommending judicial appointments to the higher judiciary.

The judges whose asset details are still pending publication include Justices BV Nagarathna, JK Maheshwari, Dipankar Datta, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Manoj Misra, Aravind Kumar, PK Mishra, SC Sharma, PB Varale, N Kotiswar Singh, R Mahadevan, and Joymalya Bagchi.

This asset disclosure comes just days before Chief Justice Khanna's retirement on May 13.