As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar’s judicial contributions were interpreted by critics as ones that enhanced the powers of the state. As the new Lokpal Chairperson, Justice Khanwilkar is expected to stand up to the state against corruption.
A Commerce graduate who became a successful first-generation lawyer, Justice Khanwilkar began his career as a judge on the Bench of the Bombay High Court in 2000. He was elevated as the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh in 2013. Within months, he was appointed as the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh. His appointment to the Supreme Court along with three other judges, including the current Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, in May 2016 came as a much-needed relief for the top court.
The appointments came through after a 15-month hiatus. They were the first ones following the Supreme Court’s striking down of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) law and the revival of the Collegium system of judicial appointments. The Supreme Court had endured months of tense stand-off with the government over the NJAC, exacerbated by unexplained delays in judicial appointments, which led to the then Chief Justice T.S. Thakur’s emotional and public outpouring in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the “impossible burden” shouldered by a depleting number of judges who work day in and day out to quell pendency.
