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Bombay, Orissa and Meghalaya high courts get new chief justices
The Supreme Court collegium had recommended these three appointments on April 18.
The Central government on Thursday cleared the appointment of new chief justices to three high courts - Bombay, Orissa and Meghalaya.
Calcutta high court judge, Justice Dipankar Datta was appointed chief justice of Bombay high court.
Justice Biswanath Somadder will be the new Meghalaya high court chief justice while Justice Mohammad Rafiq will take over as Orissa high court chief justice.
The Supreme Court collegium had recommended these three appointments on April 18.
Justice Datta will take over from the current chief justice of Bombay, Justice BP Dharmadhikari who will retire from office on April 27.
Justice Datta, who was born in 1965, obtained a law degree in 1989 and practiced in the Supreme Court and high courts before he was appointed judge of Calcutta high court in 2006.
Justice Somadder who originally hails from Calcutta high court is currently serving as a judge of Allahabad high court.
Like Justice Datta, justice Somadder also began his law practice in the year 1989 and was elevated as a judge of the Calcutta high court in 2006 before he was transferred to Allahabad high court in October 2019.
Justice Mohammad Rafiq, who is currently serving as chief justice of Meghalaya high court, was transferred to Orissa high court in view of Justice Somadder’s appointment as the new chief justice of Meghalaya high court.
Justice Rafiq, whose parent high court is Rajasthan, was elevated as the Meghalaya high court chief justice in November 2019.
The Orissa high court has been without a permanent chief justice since January 5 after the retirement of former chief justice, KS Jhaveri. The high court is currently headed by acting chief justice Sanju Panda.
