Reluctant To Move To Odisha, Justice Dharmadhikari Quits HC

Mumbai: Justice Satyaranjan C Dharmadhikari, chose to resign to moving to Odisha to take charge as the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.

The senior-most judge of Bombay High Court after the Chief Justice, declared in open court that he had demitted the office on account of “personal and family reasons”on Friday.

Justice Dharmadhikari is said to have been offered the post of Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court.

“Certain developments, which were not known to me, took place in between, because of which I had to make the choice suddenly. I had no choice, but to move to Odisha or resign,” the Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.

He attributed his reluctance to move to Odisha to the short tenure ( less than two years) available to him.

Appointed as a judge on November 14, 2003, he is due to retire in 2022.

Stating that he needed at least six to eight months to settle down in a new place, he added, “Today, the situation is different, you [judges] may not remain where you are posted and could be transferred anytime.”

Justice Dharmadhikari said that he will continue to live in Mumbai and be associated with legal matters, the report added.