Judiciary In Safe Hands Under CJI Chandrachud: Retired Supreme Court Judge

Supreme Court Justice Ajay Rastogi, who retired on June 17, also defended the Collegium system of selecting judges.

Supreme Court Justice Ajay Rastogi, who retired on June 17, has defended the Collegium system of selecting judges and said that the judiciary is in safe hands under Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. 

His comments come at a time when Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar have, on several occasions, spoken out against the Collegium system and advocated for judges being picked by a National Judicial Appointments Commission instead. 

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Justice Rastogi - who was part of the bench that dismissed Bilkis Bano's review petition - also said that, in his 20 years as a judge, he has never faced any pressure from the government or elsewhere. 

Bilkis Bano was gang-raped and seven members of her family were killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots. All 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government last year.