Justice Rafiq to take oath as Meghalaya HC Chief Justice

Shillong, Nov 12 (IANS) Justice Mohammed Rafiq will be sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday, an official said on Tuesday. Governor Tathagata Roy would administer the oath of office and secrecy to him at Raj Bhavan. Rafiq, 59, succeeds Ajay Kumar Mittal who is now the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He will be the 8th Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court. Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew, a senior High Court judge, is the acting Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court. Born in Churu, Rajasthan, Rafiq started his law practice in 1984. He practiced exclusively in the Rajasthan High Court in almost all branches of law. He served as an advocate from 1999 to 2006. He has been recognized as an expert on the Indian Constitution, service, land acquisition, tax and company law cases. In 2008, he was appointed as Justice at the Rajasthan High Court. Rafiq also served as acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court twice. On October 15, the Supreme Court Collegium had announced Justice Rafiq as the new Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.
--IANS rrk/ksk/sdr/bg