Patna: Justice V. Kameshwar Rao was sworn in as the 49th Chief Justice of the Patna High Court at a ceremony held at Bihar Lok Bhavan on Sunday.
Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain administered the oath of office to Justice Kameshwar Rao. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, senior Bihar government officials and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.
With the oath-taking, Justice Kameshwar Rao formally assumed responsibility as the head of the Patna High Court. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary congratulated him on his new assignment.
Supreme Court Collegium Recommended His Name
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Justice Kameshwar Rao for appointment as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court at its meeting held on August 6, 2026.
He succeeds Chief Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai, who retired on July 11, 2026. Following her retirement, senior judge Justice Sudhir Singh had been serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.
Justice Kameshwar Rao’s Legal Career
Born on August 7, 1965, Justice V. Kameshwar Rao graduated in Geography from the University of Delhi in 1987 and completed his LLB from the same university in 1990.
He enrolled with the Delhi Bar Council in March 1991 and practised for nearly two decades before the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and other judicial forums.
He was designated a Senior Advocate in 2010.
Justice Kameshwar Rao has considerable experience in service matters, labour law, constitutional and administrative law, as well as arbitration-related cases.
From Delhi High Court to Patna High Court
Justice Kameshwar Rao was appointed an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court on April 17, 2013, and became a permanent judge on March 18, 2015.
In 2024, he was transferred to the Karnataka High Court, where he also served as Acting Chief Justice in May 2025. He subsequently returned to the Delhi High Court as a judge in July 2025.
His appointment as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court now marks a new phase in his judicial career and comes at a significant time for Bihar’s judiciary.
