Justice BR Gavai is India's new CJI: How judge rose from Maharashtra slum to Supreme Court's top post

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14-05-2025

Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai has been sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI). He succeeded Justice Sanjiv Khanna to take over the coveted post in the Supreme Court. Justice Gavai spent his early years in a slum in Amravati's Frezarpura locality. Here's a look at the journey of India's second Dalit CJI read more
President Droupadi Murmu administers the oath of office to Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai as the 52nd Chief Justice of India during a ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, May 14, 2025. PTI
Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai has taken oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI). He was sworn in by President Droupadi Murmu at the Ganatantra Mandap in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday (May 14).
CJI Gavai has replaced Justice Sanjiv Khanna , who demitted office on Tuesday. The 64-year-old will have a tenure of more than six months, ending on November 23. Justice Gavai has created history by becoming only the second from the Dalit community to serve as the Chief Justice of India. In 2007, Justice KG Balakrishnan was the first Dalit to occupy the highest judicial office in the country.
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But who is BR Gavai? Let's take a closer look.
From slum to top court: BR Gavai's journey
CJI BR Gavai has had an inspiring journey. He has risen from the slums of Maharashtra to occupy the coveted post in the Supreme Court.
Born on November 24, 1960, Justice Gavai lived in a slum in Amravati's Frezarpura locality.
His mother, Kamaltai Gavai, is a former school teacher, and his father, the late Ramkrishna Suryabhan (RS) Gavai, was the founder of the Ambedkarite outfit, the Republican Party of India (Gavai).
RS Gavai once considered pursuing law himself, as per a Hindustan Times (HT) report. However, his life took him to politics. The senior Gavai was a Lok Sabha MP from Amravati, and also served as Governor of Bihar, Sikkim, and Kerala between 2006 and 2011.
The value of serving society was instilled in CJI Gavai during his childhood as he would be near his mother when she cooked bhakris (Maharashtrian flatbread) for the multitudes of visitors who came to their house, as per an Indian Express report.
Kamaltai ensured that her son, CJI Gavai, who is the eldest of three siblings, helped her in household chores such as cooking, washing utensils, serving food, and later, farming and drawing water from borewells.
'Maybe because he was the eldest, he was a mature child quite early,' 84-year-old Kamaltai told Indian Express. 'During the 1971 Bangladesh war, even though our economic condition was bad, the soldiers would have meals at our small house in the Frezarpura area and Bhushan would help me in various chores.'
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CJI Gavai studied at a municipal Marathi-medium school, where he had to sit on the floor during classes due to a lack of benches.
Roopchand Khandelwal, who was CJI Gavai's neighbour in Frezarpura and his classmate in the municipal school, told Indian Express, 'He had a small jhopdi then, which was reconstructed later and sold off by the family. The slum had labourers from various castes and religions. Our school had no benches and we would sit on the floor. Bhushan was helpful, polite … kind to the underprivileged.'
After earning a BCom degree, CJI Gavai went on to study law from Amravati University. He began his practice in 1985 at the age of 25.
The CJI has represented the government as additional public prosecutor and government pleader in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.
Over his judicial career spanning two decades, CJI Gavai has served in benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, Panaji and Mumbai.
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In 2001, CJI Gavai was offered a judgeship, however, he considered withdrawing his consent after the process was prolonged. As per Indian Express, his father apparently advised him against it.
In 2003, Justice Gavai was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court. Two years later, he became a permanent judge.
He was elevated as a Supreme Court judge on May 24, 2019. Justice Gavai previously admitted that his appointment to the top court was fast-tracked by a couple of years for various reasons, including to ensure diversity on the Bench.
'If not for giving representation to Scheduled Castes (SCs), I would have been elevated maybe two years later,' he had said at a discussion hosted by the New York City Bar Association in 2024.
CJI Gavai has taken inspiration from the teachings of Dr BR Ambedkar and the principles of the Constitution.
'It is solely due to Dr B R Ambedkar's efforts that someone like me, who studied in a semi-slum area at a municipal school, could attain this position,' he said in a speech in April 2024, ending with a chant of 'Jai Bhim'.
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Newly sworn-in Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai pays tribute to BR Ambedkar at the Supreme Court premises, in New Delhi, May 14, 2025. PTI
His major judgements
CJI Gavai is an empathetic judge whose verdicts reflect this nature. His order once helped a woman get her legally owned house back after she struggled to get its ownership for two decades, as per HT.
CJI Gavai has also served on critical cases pertaining to Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
His bench granted relief to Newsclick founder Prabir Purkayastha and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Last November, a bench headed by him ruled that demolishing the properties of citizens without following due process violates the rule of law.
Justice Gavai was part of the seven-judge bench that ruled in favour of sub-classification of the Scheduled Caste quota in a landmark judgement. In a separate opinion, he compared the objection of SC groups to splitting the quota with discrimination that 'higher castes have done' to Dalits.
In 2023, Justice Gavai was also on the Constitution bench that upheld the Centre's abrogation of Article 370 that had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Last year, his bench struck down the electoral bonds scheme.
In March, Justice Gavai, along with a team of Supreme Court judges, travelled to Manipur to interact with the victims of the ethnic conflict.
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'Hard work, determination' made him CJI
Speaking to PTI, Justice Gavai's mother credited his 'hard work and determination' and service to the poor and needy as key to his success.
Kamaltai Gavai said, 'As a mother, I wanted and expected my children to follow in their father's footsteps and serve society, treat people with respect and give justice to them irrespective of their stature.'
'It is a moment of great joy and happiness for everyone. It is a moment of satisfaction for us, because from a very young age, under difficult circumstances and after overcoming several problems, he has reached such a high position,' she said.
#WATCH | Delhi: CJI BR Gavai greets President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, former President Ram Nath Kovind and other dignitaries at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He took oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India.
(Video Source:… pic.twitter.com/yMUL0Sw3LH — ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2025
Justice Gavai's younger sister, Kirti Arjun, expressed confidence that her brother will fulfill this responsibility honestly.
'It is a moment of happiness not only for the Gavai family and Amaravati, but for the entire Maharashtra,' she said.
'He is very sensitive and practical as well. He works with his brain and his heart together. That is why all his decisions are a reflection of his foresight, which can take forward the society. I congratulate Bhushan dada and I am fully confident that he will take forward the legacy of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar,' Arjun said.
With inputs from agencies