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I will sit as a common man on the Bench: CJI HL Dattu

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Justice Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu, who has been monitoring the investigations into the 2G scam, black money and controversial diary of CBI director Sinha, was on Sunday sworn in as the 42nd Chief Justice of India. Speaking to journalists after taking oath, Justice Dattu said that he will sit as a "common man" on the Bench, and assured citizens that there is no class difference in handling of cases.

63-year-old Justice Dattu, the senior-most Supreme Court judge, was administered the oath of office by president Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhawan. He said the judges of the top court are also common people and they know that their job is a very responsible one as every matter before them is a "serious case" for citizens.

"At the end of the day it is the last and final court of the country. Whether it is a judge or the people we give lot of attention as we know how much citizens pay attention," said the CJI.

Justice Dattu said, "Each case is important for me because of its seriousness and sensitivity. All the judges in the court work hard. They work for at least 16 hours a day. Whenever I am stressed, in order to de-stress I listen to Carnatic music and drink a cup of nice South Indian coffee," he added.

Justice Dattu, who will have a tenure of 14 months and will retire on December 2, 2015, refused to talk on any of the controversial issues including appointment of judges. Lawyers and judges from the apex court, Karnataka high court and other relatives and friends were among the visitors who had come to wish him.

Karnataka high court judge KL Manjunath, who was in controversy after Centre returned the SC collegium's file recommending his elevation as chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana high court despite allegations against him, was also one of the visitors to greet him at his residence.

Justice Dattu had started his legal career from Karnataka and after his elevation to high court bench, had joined the top court as a judge in December 2008.

Justice Dattu was born on December 13, 1950. He enrolled as an advocate in 1975 and began practising in Bangalore and dealt with all types of matters -- civil, criminal, tax and constitutional cases.

He was elevated as the chief justice of the Chhattisgarh high court in February 2007 and shortly afterwards shifted in the same capacity to the Kerala high court.

As CJI, Justice Dattu, who will be heading a bench dealing with the issues arising out of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and creation of new state of Telangana, said a judge of the apex court has to work for around 16 hours a day and for him the best stress buster is "Carnatic music and usual dose of south Indian coffee".

Earlier in the day, at the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan, vice president Hamid Ansari, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P J Kurien, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Ravi Shankar Prasad, M Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar, BJP veteran L K Advani and outgoing CJI Justice RM Lodha were among those present at the ceremony.

Justice Lodha, who retired on Saturday as the CJI, senior judges of the Supreme Court, High Court, retired judges and members of the Bar were also present.

With agency inputs
 

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