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Justice Khehar is high on humanity and humility

By IndianMandarins- 04 Jan 2017
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justice-khehar-is-high-on-humanity-and-humility Justice J S Khehar will be sworn in today as 44th CJI following the retirement of Justice Tirath Singh Thakur. His appointment comes at a time when the equation between the judiciary and the executive is seen to be out of balance particularly on the issue of appointment of judges. While he has an impeccable judicial record, much less is known about his humane qualities. Every three months, he quietly walks into a medical institute to donate blood. He's been doing this for more than four decades, the last five of them in Delhi since he moved here as a judge of the Supreme Court in September 2011. His quarterly blood donation, true to his style, has remained under wraps, known to a small group of friends and colleagues. Unobtrusiveness - bordering on the reclusive - has been as much a part of him and his wife Madhurpreet Kaur's routine, as his tendency to deliver headline-making judgments. He's a son of a Kenyan immigrant. He was schooled in India. A gold medallist from Panjab University, Justice Khehar had his first brush with headlines decades ago when he put up a strong defense of Justice V Ramaswami, a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, who was accused of corruption as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court. Ramaswami's was independent India's first impeachment motion. In 2010, as Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court, Justice Khehar was part of a committee of three jurists set up by Vice President Hamid Ansari to examine corruption charges against Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, who was facing impeachment proceedings. Before the proceedings could get over, Justice Dinakaran resigned from his post. In its judgment on the plea of a former Additional Sessions Judge of Gwalior, who had resigned due to alleged sexual harassment by senior Madhya Pradesh High Court Judge S K Gangele - the judge is now facing impeachment motion - Justice Khehar's bench set aside the two-judge panel set up by the chief justice of the high court to probe the allegations of sexual harassment. It also divested the judge of administrative and supervisory responsibilities. As Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, Justice Khehar confronted a sitting HC judge accused of sexual harassment by a lady civil judge, resulting in his resignation. Known to be very attached to his parents - his father passed away a few

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