Justice Ramesh D Dhanuka sworn in as Chief Justice of Bombay high court

MUMBAI: Justice Ramesh D Dhanuka was on Sunday morning sworn in as the 46th Chief Justice of Bombay high court. Maharashtra governor Ramesh Bais administered him the oath of office at the Raj Bhavan.
On April 19, the Supreme Court collegium had recommended appointing Justice Dhanuka of Bombay HC as the Chief Justice of the same court. The rule provides that when a senior judge has six months left to retire he can be made CJ of the same high court.
When his recommendation was made, Justice Dhanuka had more than a month and ten days left to retire. He retires on May 30, when he turns 62, making him a CJ of Bombay HC with a shortest tenure.
The Centre issued his appointment warrant on Friday with the President appointing him as the Bombay HC CJ and also appointing acting CJ S V Gangapurwala as the CJ of Madras HC. Till the ACJ was not made a CJ of another HC, Justice Dhanuka’s elevation had to wait too as it was dependent on it.
The SC collegium had last month simultaneously recommended the elevation of Bombay HC ACJ Gangapurwala as the CJ of Madras HC. Justice Gangapurwala who hails from Aurangabad has been sworn in as the Madras HC Chief Justice.
The oath taking ceremony for the new CJ Dhanuka at the Raj Bhavan was not attended by Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde.
The CM was unable to attend the event probably as had to be present for the new Parliament building inauguration said advocate JP Dhanuka, a relative of the new CJ, who was present for the ceremony.