Justice BR Sarangi Takes Oath As Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice, To Have 15 Days Tenure As CJ

Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi was sworn in as the 15th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court on Friday, in a ceremony at the state Raj Bhavan, with Governor C P Radhakrishnan administering the oath of office and secrecy.

Justice Sarangi's tenure will be notably brief, as he is scheduled to retire on July 19, just days after assuming his new role.

Before his elevation to the judiciary, Justice Sarangi had a distinguished legal career, practicing for 27 years at the Bar before the High Court of Orissa and the Supreme Court of India. He was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Orissa High Court on June 20, 2013, where he has since delivered a substantial number of judgments and resolved numerous cases.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Justice Sarangi for the position of Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court following the retirement of Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra in December 2023. The Union Ministry of Law and Justice confirmed his appointment in a notification issued on July 3.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato, among other dignitaries. Until Justice Sarangi's appointment, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar had been serving as the acting chief justice of the Jharkhand High Court.

Justice Sarangi's retirement highlights a recent trend of short tenures among chief justices. Notable examples include Justice Ramesh Deokinandan Dhanuka of the Bombay High Court, who served for just four days; Justice Sonia Gokani of the Gujarat High Court, who served for a fortnight; and Justice Jaswant Singh of the Tripura High Court, whose tenure was less than ten days.

Justice Sarangi's academic credentials are impressive, having completed his H.S.C. Examination and studying Commerce with Honours at B.J.B. College, Bhubaneswar. He obtained his LL.B. and LL.M. from M.S. Law College, Cuttack under Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, and earned a Ph.D. in Law from Sambalpur University, receiving various awards for his academic achievements.

Joining the Bar in December 1985, Justice Sarangi practiced regularly in the Orissa High Court and the Supreme Court. He is a life member of several bar associations, including the Orissa High Court Bar Association and the Central Tribunal Bar Association.

During his tenure at the Orissa High Court, Justice Sarangi disposed of more than 152,000 cases and delivered approximately 1,500 reported judgments.