Justice Dipankar Datta, who was earlier a senior judge in Calcutta High Court, was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday.
Koshyari administered the oath of office to Justice Datta at a brief swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan here.
Justice Dipankar Datta is succeeding Justice Bhushan Pradyumna Dharmadhikari whose term as Chief Justice ended on April 27, 2020.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Nana Patole, Minister of Protocol and Tourism Aaditya Thackeray, family members of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta, judges of the Bombay High Court, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Kumar, Advocate General Ashotosh Kumbhakoni, Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal and Commissioner of Mumbai Police Parambir Singh were prominent among those present.
Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta read out the notification of the appointment of the Chief Justice issued by the President of India at the ceremony, which began and concluded with the National Anthem played by the Police Band.
Born on February 9, 1965, Justice Datta enrolled as an advocate on November 16, 1989, and practiced in the Calcutta High Court, Gauhati High Court, Jharkhand High Court and occasionally in the Supreme Court of India for about 16 years.
He had practiced law in Civil, Constitutional, labour, service, education and transport cases and has specialised in constitutional, labour and service matters.
He had also worked as Junior Standing Counsel, State of West Bengal from May 16, 2002, to January 16, 2004. He was a Central Government Counsel and held the office of Lawyer-in-charge of the University of West Bengal and the West Bengal School Service Commission.
Justice Datta was appointed as a permanent judge of the Calcutta High Court on June 22, 2006.
( With inputs from ANI )