Patna: Patna High Court’s newly appointed judge, Anshul Raj, took the oath of office and secrecy on Tuesday, marking his formal elevation to the bench. The oath was administered by the chief justice, Sangam Kumar Sahoo.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at the centenary building of the Patna High Court and was attended by all sitting judges of the court, along with judicial officers and members of the Bar.
Anshul Raj is the son of senior advocate Yogesh Chandra Verma, a well-known practitioner at the Patna High Court. He completed his early higher education at Patna University in 1990 and went on to obtain his Bachelor of Laws degree from Magadh University in 2000.
He enrolled as an advocate with the Bihar Bar Council on June 26, 2003, and has more than two decades of experience at the Bar. His primary areas of practice have included criminal law and constitutional law.
Between 2004 and 2009, he practised before the Supreme Court of India. He has also served as a panel advocate for Indian Railways and was appointed standing counsel for the Government of Bihar in 2014.
With his swearing-in, the total number of judges at the Patna High Court has risen to 38. However, the court continues to face a shortage of judges, with 15 vacancies remaining against its sanctioned strength of 53.
