Patna, June 5: Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai was sworn in on June 5 as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, becoming the first woman from Northeast India to head a High Court in the country.
She succeeds Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo, who retired earlier this year after serving as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. Her elevation has been widely regarded as a significant milestone for Sikkim and for the Indian judiciary, particularly in terms of improving representation of women in senior judicial roles.
Legal fraternity members, judicial officers and political leaders from Sikkim have welcomed her appointment, describing it as a moment of pride for the state.
Justice Rai brings with her a judicial career spanning over three decades. She began her journey in 1990 as Sikkim’s first woman Judicial Magistrate First Class-cum-Civil Judge, marking a breakthrough for women in the state’s judicial services. Over the years, she held several key positions, including Chief Judicial Magistrate, District and Sessions Judge, Registrar General of the High Court of Sikkim, and later Acting Chief Justice.
In 2015, she became the first woman from Sikkim to be appointed as a judge of the High Court of Sikkim, further strengthening her reputation as a pioneering figure in the judiciary.
Her appointment as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court is being viewed as another major milestone in a distinguished career marked by administrative leadership, judicial service and a series of historic firsts.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by judges, senior advocates, government officials and members of the legal community, who extended their best wishes as she assumed charge of one of India’s oldest High Courts.
