05-05-2025, Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna on Monday said that the petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2024 will be listed before a bench led by Justice BR Gavai on 15 May2025, in view of the fact that he has only few days left before retirement(May 13).

Waqf Amendment Act” was listed before a bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice KV Viswanathan today.

As soon as the matter was taken, CJI Khanna said that he has gone through the counter-affidavit of the Union and the rejoinder affidavits of the petitioners, though not in detail. He added that he does not want to reserve a judgment/order at the interim stage. At the same time, he agreed that the matter requires an early hearing. Therefore, he proposed that the matter be listed before a bench led by Justice BR Gavai.

“I don’t want to reserve any judgment or order at the interim stage. This matter will have to be heard on a reasonably early date, and this will not be before me. If you all agree, we will post it before a bench of Justice Gavai…”

The lawyers appearing for the petitioners, Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, AM Singhvi etc.,, as well as Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, accepted CJI’s suggestion.