From luxury flats to gold jewellery: SC judges' assets made public

SC has made judges' asset declarations public; 21 of 33 judges have disclosed their wealth, including crores in investments and properties, with CJI Khanna holding a fixed deposit of ₹55 lakh

In a step toward greater transparency, the Supreme Court has started uploading the asset declarations of its judges on its official website. This move stems from a full-court resolution aimed at giving the public access to the financial disclosures of members of the judiciary. 

So far, 21 of the 33 sitting judges have made their asset information public. Among them, Justice KV Viswanathan has disclosed investments exceeding Rs 120 crore, along with properties in Delhi and Coimbatore. His income tax filings from 2010-11 through 2024-25 indicate a total of over ₹91.47 crore. 

Justice Vikram Nath has reported owning a two-bedroom apartment in Noida, a bungalow in Prayagraj, and around 20 bighas of farmland in Kaushambi. His investment portfolio amounts to approximately ₹1.5 crore. 

 

Justice BR Gavai, who is set to take over as Chief Justice of India on May 14, listed gold and jewellery worth ₹5.25 lakh, while his wife holds ornaments valued at ₹29.70 lakh. Justice Surya Kant, expected to become CJI on November 24, declared ownership of a residence in Chandigarh, farmland in Panchkula, a plot in Gurugram, and fixed deposits totalling ₹4.11 crore.     

 

  Justice Abhay S Oka, scheduled to retire on May 24, owns a residential apartment in Thane and holds an undivided share in agricultural land in the same area. His financial assets include a fixed deposit of ₹21.76 lakh and savings amounting to ₹9.10 lakh.

 

CJI Khanna’s asset disclosure

Outgoing Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, set to retire on May 13, holds a fixed deposit of ₹55.75 lakh and owns a three-bedroom DDA flat in South Delhi. He also possesses a 2,446 sq ft four-bedroom apartment in the Commonwealth Games Village. Additionally, he has a 56 per cent ownership in a four-bedroom flat measuring 2,016 sq ft area in Sispal Vihar, Sector 49, Gurugram, along with a share in residential property and land located in Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh. 

According to disclosed data, Justice Khanna has over ₹1.06 crore invested in a Public Provident Fund, ₹1.77 crore in his General Provident Fund (GPF), and holds a Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) Money Back Policy with an annual premium of ₹29,625. His shareholdings are valued at ₹14,000. 

Among his movable assets are 250 grams of gold and 2 kilograms of silver, largely received as inheritance or gifts, as well as a 2015 model Maruti Swift car.

 

Supreme Court moves towards transparency

According to the court, “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. Statements of assets of judges already received are being uploaded.” The initiative aligns with broader efforts to make the judicial appointment process more transparent.   

  In addition to the asset disclosures, the top court has also made public the procedures for appointing judges to both the high courts and the apex court. These documents detail the steps involved, including recommendations, government inputs, and collegium decisions. "The proposals approved by the Supreme Court Collegium for appointments as high court judges during the period from November 9, 2022 to May 5, 2025... have also been uploaded on the Supreme Court website,” a court statement said.

 

(With agency inputs)