Justice Dipak Misra takes oath as 45th Chief Justice of India

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New Delhi:  Justice Dipak Misra was on Monday sworn-in as the 45th Chief Justice of India (CJI), succeeding Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar. 

64-year-old Justice Misra has practised in Constitutional, Civil, Criminal, Revenue, Service and Sales Tax matters in the Orissa High Court and the Service Tribunal.He was administered the oath of office by President Ram Nath Kovind. 

According to reports, Justice Misra was nominated last month by CJI Khehar for the top judicial post.

One of the most eloquent judges in the apex court, Justice Misra, 63, has been a part of several key verdicts, such as sending Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon and four men who raped and killed a physiotherapy intern to the gallows.

Justice Misra, who will have a tenure of over 13 months as the CJI  has a sensitive assignment on hand- the vexatious title dispute in the Ram Mandir and Babri Masjid case, says report in PTI. 

His tenure will be a busy one, for as the CJI he will be part of benches deciding on crucial issues such as, apart from the Ayodhya title case, the Cauvery waters dispute, SEBI- Sahara payment row, BCCI reforms, the Panama Paper leaks and on privacy policy.

Justice Misra, who was enrolled as an advocate in 1977, had practised in constitutional, civil, criminal, revenue, service and sales tax matters in the Orissa High Court and Tribunals before being elevated to the High Court bench.

He was appointed Additional Judge of the Orissa High Court in January, 1996, after which he was transferred to the Madhya Pradesh High Court in March, 1997.

In 2009, Justice Misra became the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court and assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in May, 2010.

He was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on October 10, 2011.

(With inputs from agencies)