Prez nominates former CJI Ranjan Gogoi to RS
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 16
Barely four months after he demitted the office of the Chief Justice of India, Justice Ranjan Gogoi was on Monday nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President Ramnath Kovind.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (1) article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate Shri Ranjan Gogoi to the Council of States to fill the vacancy caused due to the retirement of one of the nominated member,” a notification issued by the Government announced.
Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who served as the 46th Chief Justice of India, had demitted office on November 17 – eight days after delivering a historic verdict that paved the way for construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya. Justice Gogoi headed a five-judge Bench which unanimously decreed the decades-old title dispute in favour of Ram Lalla.
He had also faced allegations of sexual harassment from a woman employee of the Supreme Court. But he was exonerated after an inquiry.
He is the second former CJI to become a member of the Rajya Sabha after Justice Rangnath Misra who was also a member of the Upper House from the Congress Party between 1998 and 2004. After his retirement as CJI, Justice Misra was first appointed as the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission and then he went on to become a Rajya Sabha MP.
Earlier, former CJI P Sathasivam was appointed as Governor of Kerala in September 2014, five months after his retirement.
Justice M Hidayatullah – who was the 11th CJI – was also elected as the Vice President of India – almost nine years after demitting the highest judicial office.
