SHIMLA: Justice Mohammad Rafiq was sworn-in as the chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh high court in Shimla on Thursday.
He was administered the oath of office by governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan. The ceremony took place at the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhawan, where chief secretary Ram Subhag Singh conducted the proceedings of the oath ceremony. Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and his wife Dr Sadhna Thakur were also present on the occasion.
Rafiq was born in 1960 at Sujangarh in Churu district of Rajasthan. He completed his BCom in 1980, LLB in 1984 and MCom in 1986 from the University of Rajasthan. He enroled with the Bar Council of Rajasthan in July 1984 and worked as assistant government advocate for the state of Rajasthan from 1986 to 1987 and deputy government advocate from 1987 to 1990.
He appeared before the high court as panel advocate for different departments of the state government for five years: from 1993 to 1998. He also represented the Union of India as standing counsel from 1992 to 2001 before the high court. He also represented the Indian Railways, Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, Rajasthan Board of Muslim Wakfs, Jaipur Development Authority, Rajasthan Housing Board and Jaipur Municipal Corporation before the Rajasthan High Court.
He was appointed additional advocate general for the state of Rajasthan on January 1999 and worked as such till his elevation to the Bench. He was appointed as judge at the Rajasthan high court on May 15, 2006. He also worked as acting chief justice of the Rajasthan high court twice. He was also the executive chairman of the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority and administrative judge of the Rajasthan high court prior to elevation as chief justice.
{{/usCountry}}He was appointed additional advocate general for the state of Rajasthan on January 1999 and worked as such till his elevation to the Bench. He was appointed as judge at the Rajasthan high court on May 15, 2006. He also worked as acting chief justice of the Rajasthan high court twice. He was also the executive chairman of the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority and administrative judge of the Rajasthan high court prior to elevation as chief justice.
{{/usCountry}}He was chief justice of the Meghalaya, Orrissa and Madhya Pradesh high courts.