Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi heads a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court which will deliver the verdict on the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit on Saturday.
Brief profiles of the five judges:
CJI Ranjan Gogoi: He joined the Bar in 1978 and practised mainly in the Gauhati High Court. He was appointed as Permanent Judge of Gauhati High Court on February 28, 2001. On September 9, 2010, he was transferred to Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court on February 12, 2011 before being elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on April 23, 2012.
Justice Gogoi was appointed as he Chief Justice of India on October 3, 2018. He will retire on November 17.
The CJI-led bench concluded hearing in this case in 40 days on October 16 and reserved its judgment. Chief Justice Gogoi is to deliver verdicts in three more important cases before his retirement—Rafale review plea, Sabarimala review petition and the question whether the office of the CJI falls under RTI or not.
Justice S A Bobde: He is the CJI designate who takes charge on November 18. He enrolled in the Bar Council of Maharashtra in 1978 and practised law at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court with appearances at Bombay before the Principal Seat and before the Supreme Court for over 21 years. He was designated as Senior Advocate in 1998.
He was elevated to the Bench of the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000 as Additional Judge. On October 16, 2012 he was sworn in as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. Justice Bobde was elevated as a judge of Supreme Court April 12, 2013. As CJI, he will retire on April 23, 2021.
Justice D Y Chandrachud: He has been a part of many Constitution benches in the past and is known fro his liberal outlook on issues relating to fundamental rights and served as Director of Maharashtra Judicial Academy.
He was designated as Senior Advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998 and practised law at the Supreme Court of India and the Bombay High Court.
Additional Solicitor General of India from 1998 until his appointment as a judge in the Bombay High Court from March 29, 2000. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court on October 31, 2013.
Justice Chandrachud was appointed as a Supreme Court judge on May 13, 2016.
Justice Ashok Bhushan:
He obtained law degree from the Allahabad University in 1979 and enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh on April 6, 1979. Thereafter, he started practice in Civil and Original side at Allahabad High Court till his elevation to the Bench.
He worked as Standing Counsel of Allahabad University, State Mineral Development Corporation Limited and several Municipal Boards, Banks and Education Institutions.
He was elected as Senior Vice-President of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association. On April 24, he was elevated as permanent Judge of the Allahabad High Court. He also served as Chairman, Higher Judicial Service Committee and headed several other committees.
He was sworn in as a judge of the High Court of Kerala on July 10, 2014 and took charge as Acting Chief Justice on August 1, 2014 and was sworn in as Chief Justice of the high court on March 3, 2015.
Justice S Abdul Nazeer: The only Muslim judge on the bench, he enrolled as an advocate on February 18, 1983 and practised in the High Court of Karnataka.
He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court on May 12, 2003 and as a permanent judge on September 24, 2004. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court February 17, 2017.
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