The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of India, saying the petition was "devoid of merits".


A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said "We are of the view that it is not the stage to interfere (with the appointment)."


The petition against Justice Gogoi's appointment as the next CJI was filed by two lawyers. In their plea, advocates R P Luthra and Satyaveer Sharma had said they were seeking adjudication of the question of law relying on the contents of the press conference of January 12, called by four senior judges (Justices Chelameswar (since retd), Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph) of the apex court.


The plea had said the petitioners were also relying on an undated letter addressed to the Chief Justice of India and circulated by the four apex court judges.


"This act of the four senior-most judges of the court was not less than a sabotage to the judicial system of the country. They tried to arouse public furore in the country in the names of certain internal differences in this court," the plea had alleged. -- PTI


Image: Justice Ranjan Gogoi, right, with now retired Supreme Court Justice Jasti Chelameswar.