Bihar: Justice Sudhir Singh to serve as acting Chief Justice of Patna HC
Patna, July 10 (IANS) Following the retirement of Chief Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai on July 11, 2026, the senior-most judge, Justice Sudhir Singh, will assume charge as the Acting Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.
The appointment has been made through a notification issued by the Government of India, ensuring continuity in the functioning of the High Court until a regular Chief Justice is appointed.
An emotional farewell ceremony for the retiring Chief Justice was held on Friday at the Centenary Hall of the Patna High Court. The event was attended by judges of the High Court, members of the Bar, and several senior legal dignitaries, including the Advocates Association President, Yogesh Chandra Verma, the Additional Advocate General, Anjani Kumar, and others. Family members of Chief Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai were also present during the ceremony.
Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai was born on July 12, 1964. Her academic and professional journey includes schooling at Tashi Namgyal Academy (TNA), Gangtok; a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi; and an LL.B. from the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, in 1989.
She enrolled with the Delhi Bar in 1990 and joined the judicial service the same year as a First Class Magistrate. Justice Rai was appointed as a judge of the Sikkim High Court on April 15, 2015. During her tenure, she served as the Acting Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court on multiple occasions — in 2018, 2019, 2020, and again in 2025.
Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai took the oath as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court on June 5, 2026, becoming the second woman to hold the office in the court’s history.
Although her tenure as Chief Justice was relatively brief, members of the legal fraternity acknowledged her contribution to the administration of justice and the functioning of the High Court.
With Justice Rai attaining the age of retirement on July 11, 2026, Justice Sudhir Singh, the senior-most judge of the Patna High Court, will take over as the Acting Chief Justice.
His appointment is intended to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the High Court pending the appointment of a permanent Chief Justice.
–IANS
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