Meet RS Gavai, father of Next CJI BR Gavai: Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna (BR) Gawai will take oath as the 52nd Chief Justice (CJI) of India on 14 May. The current CJI Sanjeev Khanna is retiring on 13 May. Justice BR Gawai’s term will be more than six months. Born on 24 November 1960 in Amravati, Justice Gawai joined the bar on 16 March 1985. He was promoted as a judge of the Supreme Court on 24 May 2019 and will retire on November 23, 2025.
Justice BR Gawai’s family is very deeply connected in politics. He has also openly accepted this. Ramakrishna Suryabhan Gawai, father of Justice BR Gawai, was known as ‘Dadasaheb’ in India’s politics. He was a prominent Dalit leader. Ramakrishna Suryabhan was the Governor of Gawai Bihar. He had a close relationship with the Congress party. That is why in July 2023, BR Gavai offered to separate himself from a case related to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
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Gawai’s family relationship with Congress
Justice BR Gawai said at that time, “I have some difficulty.” He offered to withdraw from the hearing on his petition challenging the Gujarat High Court’s decision to not stop the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case. Justice Gawai said, “My father was associated with the Congress… Although he was not a member of the Congress, he was very close to the Congress… He was associated with the Congress for more than 40 years. He was a member of Parliament, Members of the Legislature with the support of the Congress, a member of the Legislature. And my brothers are still in politics and are associated with the Congress.” He told the parties associated with the case, “In this background you have to decide whether I should raise this matter or not.”
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Who was Justice Gawai’s father Ramakrishna?
Justice Gawai Ramakrishna is the son of Suryabhan Gawai (1929-2015), who was a close associate of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Chairman of the Deekshabhoomi Memorial Committee in Nagpur. Senior Gavai, called ‘Dadasaheb’ among his followers and fans, was active in Maharashtra politics from 1964 to 1998. He founded the Ambedkarite organization, Republican Party of India (Gawai). In 1998, Gawai was elected to the Lok Sabha as RPI candidate from Senior Amravati constituency. After this, between 2006 and 2011, he worked as the Governor of Bihar, Sikkim and Kerala. At that time, the UPA led by the Congress at the center was in power.
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An inquiry against Vijayan was allowed
In 2009, Gawai Senior gave permission to initiate processing action against the current Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the Governor of Kerala. He gave the then Chief Minister VS. The case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation by going against the recommendation of the state cabinet led by Achuthanandan. The matter was related to alleged corruption in a contract for modernization of hydroelectric infrastructure in the state. This decision of Governor Gawai was supported by the Congress -led Central Government in the court. At that time Congress -led UDF was in opposition in Kerala.
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Who are Justice Gawai’s brother?
Justice Gavai’s brother is Dr. Rajendra Gavai, who in 2009 joined hands with Republican Party of India (A) President Ramdas Athawale for some time. He tried to bring various groups of original RPI together. However, due to differences between the leaders, there was a partition and the Gawai -led group formed a pre -election alliance with the Congress. While the group led by Ramdas Athawale formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). RPI (A) is part of the BJP -led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Ramdas Athawale is now Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.
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Many important decisions included
Justice Gawai was part of several important decisions as a Supreme Court judge, including the decision to cancel Article 370 of the Constitution and cancel the election bond scheme. Justice Gawai set all India guidelines against illegal demolition or ‘bulldozer culture’ of states. They were part of the Constitution bench which said that the states have the right to subdue the Scheduled Scheduled Castes notified in the President’s list to provide them more preference treatment in public employment and education. Manish Sisodia’s decision in the bail case of Justice Gawai strengthened the right to personal freedom. He led the bench that ordered the release of Perarivalan, convicted of the Rajiv Gandhi murder case.
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Lawyers were made in High Court at the age of 25
Justice Gawai started practice in the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court at the age of 25 and stayed here till 1990. On 14 November 2003, he was appointed a judge of the Bombay High Court and then on 12 November 2005, he was made a Permanent Judge here. On 24 May 2019, he was transferred as a judge in the Supreme Court. Justice Gawai has often discussed the greatness of the Constitution of India, which determined his fate. Last year, he said in his speech, “It was possible only because of Dr. BR Ambedkar’s efforts that a person like me, who used to study in a municipal school in a semi-juggling area, could reach the post.” He concluded his speech with the slogan of ‘Jai Bhima’.