Ignoring row over his elevation, Govt appoints Justice Khanna of Delhi HC as SC judge

Ignoring the huge row over his elevation that has led to supersession of several judges, the Government Wednesday appointed Delhi High Court judge Sanjiv Khanna to the Supreme Court as recommended by the apex court's collegium.

A government notification said President Ram Nath Kovind also appointed Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari as a judge of the apex court. With the two appointments, the strength of the top court will rise to 28 with three vacancies.

The five-member SC Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on January 11 recommended to the government the elevation of Justices Maheshwari and Khanna to the top court.

The appointment of Justice Khanna was announced on a day when the chorus of protests against the collegium's recommendation to elevate him grew louder with Bar Council of India (BCI) saying it is "whimsical and arbitrary" and will lead to "humiliation and demoralisation" of the superseded judges.

A sitting supreme court judge Justice