The Supreme Court of India decided that judges’ asset declarations should be available to the public on April 1, 2025. The court announced this through an official statement.
“The full court of the Supreme Court of India has on April 1, 2025 decided that the statements of assets of the judges of this court shall be placed in the public domain by uploading the same on the website of this court,” the release stated.
The court has started uploading financial declarations already submitted by its judges. It added, “Statements of assets of judges already received are being uploaded. Statements of assets of other judges will be uploaded as and when the current statement of assets is received.”
Judicial Appointment Process Now Transparent
Along with asset declarations, the Supreme Court has also uploaded the full procedure for appointing judges to both the High Courts and the Supreme Court. The website now includes details about the involvement of the High Court Collegium, suggestions from state governments and the central government, and decisions made by the Supreme Court Collegium.
To improve public understanding, the court has listed proposals for High Court judge appointments approved between November 9, 2022, and May 5, 2025. The list includes each judge’s name, High Court, whether they came from judicial service or private legal practice, dates of recommendations and appointments, and social category (SC/ST/OBC/Minority/Woman). It also mentions if any candidate is related to a sitting or retired judge.
CJI Khanna Publishes Asset Details
Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has shared the details of his financial and property holdings. According to the Supreme Court website, he has ₹55.75 lakh in fixed deposits and bank accounts. His Public Provident Fund (PPF) account contains ₹1.06 crore.
In terms of real estate, CJI Khanna owns two flats in Delhi—a two-bedroom DDA flat in South Delhi and a four-bedroom apartment in the Commonwealth Games Village. He also owns 56% of a four-bedroom flat in Gurugram, while his daughter holds the remaining 44%. Additionally, he has a share in an ancestral home in Himachal Pradesh that dates back to before the partition.
Incoming CJI Gavai Also Discloses Assets
Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai, who will become the Chief Justice of India on May 14, has also disclosed his financial details. He holds ₹19.63 lakh in bank accounts and ₹6.59 lakh in his PPF account.
Justice Gavai owns multiple properties. He inherited a house in Amravati, Maharashtra, as well as residential apartments in Mumbai and Delhi. He also has agricultural land in Amravati and Nagpur. His total declared liabilities stand at ₹1.3 crore.