Dr Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, bids farewell after a brief tenure of 15 days

Early Life and Education

Dr. Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi was born on 20-07-1962 in village Pantikhari Sasan near Odagaon, in the district of Nayagarh as the youngest son of Late Banchhanidhi Sarangi, Ex-Financial Advisor belonging to Senior Class-I Officer of Orissa Finance Service Cadre of State of Odisha, and Late Sailabala Sarangi¹.

Dr. Justice Sarangi passed the H.S.C. Examination and studied Commerce with Hons. from B.J.B. College, Bhubaneswar. Furthering his education, Dr. Justice Sarangi acquired his LL.B. & LL.M. degree from M.S. Law College, Cuttack under Utkal University, Vanivihar, Bhubaneswar. However, Dr. Justice Sarangi did not just stop his academic journey after a postgraduate degree in law and went on to do his Ph.D. from Sambalpur University².

Advocacy³

Dr. Justice Sarangi joined the Bar in December 1985 and started regular practice in the High Court of Orissa and Supreme Court of India.

Dr Justice Sarangi’s most important career move as a lawyer began with systematic and meticulous training in almost all the branches of law in the chamber of esteemed Late Gangadhar Rath, Former Senior Advocate-cum-Advocate General of Odisha, a jurist and a scholar of high repute. Under the tutelage of Late Gangadhar Rath, Dr. Justice Sarangi acquired steadiness, accuracy and clarity of thinking.

Throughout his tenure as a counsel, Dr. Justice Sarangi dealt in cases related to civil, criminal, constitutional, revenue, tax, labour, service, mining, education, electricity, insurance, banking, telephone, elections etc.

Dr. Justice Sarangi independently appeared for various private parties, corporations, Government Undertakings, Banks, insurance companies, Managing Committees of Schools, Governing Bodies of Colleges, Lokpal of Odisha, Human Right Commission, Land Acquisition Officer, National Highway Authority, etc., before various Courts, Tribunals, High Court and Supreme Court. Furthermore, Dr Justice BR Sarangi was also appointed as Arbitrator, Advocate Commission and Amicus Curiae to assist the Court in many important matters.

*Did you Know? For outstanding performance and high standard of professional ethics as a lawyer, Dr. Justice BR Sarangi was conferred the “Haricharan Mukherjee Memorial Award” with Gold Medal for the year 2002 by the then Chief Justice of Orissa High Court, Justice P.K. Balsubramanyam⁴.

Important Commissions and Associations⁵

Dr. Justice BR Sarangi was just not active in the legal scene as a counsel, he was very much involved with various philanthropic, social and religious organizations and participated in various symposiums, seminars of State, National and International level with special reference to public administration, habitat management, law and social change.

Dr. Justice BR Sarangi Served as Executive Chairman of Odisha State Legal Services Authority

Dr. Justice BR Sarangi served as Chairman of the following Committees

• Orissa High Court Legal Services Committee.

• Advisory Board constituted under the National Security Act.

• State Advisory Board constituted under Sec.9(a) of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1988.

• Vigilance & Disciplinary Committee

• Appellate Authority constituted under the Water (PCP) Act, 1974 and Air (PCP) Act, 1981, Odisha, Bhubaneswar.

• Judicial Academy and Training Committee.

• High Power Committee for Legal Education of Utkal University.

• High Court Building Committee.

• Subordinate Court Building Committee.

• Examination Committee for recruitment of Officers in the cadre of the District Judge by way of direct recruitment from Bar and through limited competitive examination.

• Assured Career Progression Committe.

• Vacancy Determination Committee.

• Committee constituted for Fixation of Inter se Seniority in the cadre of District Judges and preparation of Civil List

• Departmental Promotion Committee for the staff of the High Court (other than Group-D)

• Recruitment Committee of the High Court constituted for recruitment to the post of Assistant Section Officer and all other posts (except for which other committees are constituted)

• Court Manager Recruitment Committee

• Monitoring Committee for timely completion of the Projects and to facilitate proper coordination between the officials of the district level and decision-making authority of the State Government

Dr. Justice BR Sarangi has been an eminent Member of the following Committees

• High Court Standing Committee

• Review Committee

• Vigilance and Disciplinary Committee

• Rules Committee

• Juvenile Justice Committee

• Committee to Monitor and Regulate the Progress of cases under the POSCO Act

• Executive Body of National Law University, Odisha being the Chancellor’s nominee.

• Examiner appointed by the Bar Council of Odisha to evaluate and frame question for LL.B. Examination for Utkal University.

Dr. Justice BR Sarangi is also a Life Member in the following Associations and Institutes

• Honorary Life Member at National Ecology and Environment Foundation (NEEF), Mumbai

• Life Member at Indian Law Institute, New Delhi,

• Life Member at Indian Society for International Law, New Delhi.

• Life Member at Indian Society of Criminology, Chennai.

• Life Member of Orissa High Court Bar Association, Civil Court Bar Association, Criminal Court Bar Association and Central Tribunal Bar Association

Dr. Justice Sarangi was also appointed Honorarily to Research Board of Advisors of American Biographical Institute, USA. He has also been made a Fellow at the Indian Council of Arbitrations, New Delhi.

Judgeship

After spending 27 years in the pursuit of justice as an advocate, Dr. Justice B.R Sarangi was finally elevated to the Bench and sworn in as a Permanent Judge of Orissa High Court on 20-6-2013. Dr. Justice Sarangi also took over as Acting Chief Justice of Orissa High Court with effect from 04-10-2023 to 07-02-2024⁶.

Considering Dr. Justice BR Sarangi’s impressive record as an advocate and as Judge of Orissa High Court, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended Dr. Justice Sarangi’s name as the next Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court on 27-12-2023.

After a lapse of 6 months, his recommendation received a stamp of approval from the President of India, and he was appointed as the 15th Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court on 03-07-2024 and took oath of office on 05-07-2024.

*Did you Know: During his tenure of 10 years and 10 months in the High Court of Orissa Dr. Justice BR Sarangi disposed of record number of more than 1,52,000 (one lakh fifty-two thousand) cases and delivered near about 1,500 reported judgments⁷.

Notable Judgments of Dr. Justice B.R. Sarangi

“‘Thoroughly satisfactory’ means that the service record of one or the other employee of his entire service period be considered”: Jharkhand HC

The Division Bench of Dr B.R. Sarangi, CJ., and Sujit Narayan Prasad, J., while considering the instant appeal titled Swetabh Kumar v. State of Jharkhand⁸, stated that in respect of compulsory retirement, the interpretation of the word entire service record is to be seen while applying the weeding out principle and, in that context, the meaning of ‘thoroughly satisfactory’ should have been construed. The Bench concluded that ‘thoroughly satisfactory’ means that the service record of one or the other employee of his entire service period be considered and not only on one instance of commission of irregularity.

“Service rendered by the civilian and the bankers are on two different pedestals as the bankers must discharge their duty with utmost sincerity”: Jharkhand HC

The Division Bench of Dr B.R. Sarangi, CJ., and Sujit Narayan Prasad, J., in Sujit Biswas v. The Jharkhand Gramin Bank⁹ emphasised that the service rendered by the civilian and the bankers are on two different pedestals as the bankers are to discharge their duty with utmost sincerity. A bank survives on the trust of its clientele and constituents. The position of the Manager of a bank is a matter of great trust. The employees of the bank in particular the Manager are expected to act with absolute integrity and honesty in handling the funds of the customers/borrowers of the bank. Any misappropriation, even temporary, of the funds of the bank or its customers/borrowers constitutes a serious misconduct, inviting severe punishment.

‘Rs. 500-900 per month is paltry’; Orissa HC directs State Government to reconsider pension for disabled persons

In a Public Interest Litigation by the Orissa Association for the Blind, Bhubaneswar seeking issuance of writ of mandamus regarding the implementation of the provisions of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (‘RPwD Act’), the Division Bench of B.R Sarangi, ACJ and M.S Raman, J. in Orissa Assn. for the Blind v. State of Odisha, 2024 SCC OnLine Ori 522, directed the State Government to reconsider the pension amount and pass appropriate orders.

Orissa HC grants Rs 10 lakhs compensation to family of a minor who died of dogs attack

In a Public Interest Litigation (‘PIL’) filed by an advocate under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India over the death of a child due to an attack from street dogs sought directions to check and control the roaming dogs within human inhabitants and protect human lives and award a compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs to the family of the deceased child. A Division Bench of Dr. B.R. Sarangi ACJ and Murahari Sri Raman, J., in Bibhuti Charan Mohanty v. State of Odisha, 2023 SCC OnLine Ori 6660, allowed the petition and directed the defendant to pay Rs. ten lakhs as compensation to the father of the deceased.

Orissa High Court holds Daman Pratirodha Mancha to be an unlawful association as activities are akin and identical to Naxalite movements

In a petition titled Daman Pratirodha Mancha v. State of Odisha, 2023 SCC OnLine Ori 5655, filed under Section 226 of the Constitution, filed by the Daman Pratirodha Mancha (‘association’) assailing State of Odisha’s notification dated 20-06-2006, whereby it was declared that the association was an unlawful association, the Division Bench of B.R. Sarangi and Murahari Sri Raman, JJ. dismissed the petition and refused to interfere with the impugned notification. The Bench said that by inciting the innocent tribals and other weaker sections of the society to take to violence, affecting law and order situation against the Government, thus, the activities of the association fell within the definition of Section 15(2) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1908 (‘Amendment Act’).

Orissa HC upholds Odisha Administrative Tribunal’s order to regularise services of Junior clerks; directs State to implement order within 6 weeks

In a writ petition titled State of Odisha v. Rushava Rana, 2023 SCC OnLine Ori 2295, filed under Article 226 and 227 of the Constitution, by the State of Odisha (‘petitioner’) against the order of Odisha Administrative Tribunal, Bhubaneswar, (‘OAT, Bhubaneswar’), wherein the petitioner was directed to consider the case of the respondents for regularisation of their services, as they had completed 20 years of service. The division Bench of Dr. B.R Sarangi and Murahari Sri Raman, JJ., upheld the order of the OAT, Bhubaneswar and directed the petitioner to implement the order of regularisation of services of respondents within the period of six weeks.

“No doubt, industrialization is required for enhancement of revenue, but that does not mean at the cost of the lives of human being by destroying eco-system”: Orissa HC

A Division Bench of Mohammed Rafiq and B. R. Sarangi, JJ., disposed of the writ petition titled New Light Yubak Sangha v. State of Odisha, 2020 SCC OnLine Ori 931, holding that equity must be maintained between industrialization and eco-system itself.

Matter pending adjudication before Court is no bar for Lokayukta to exercise its powers under S. 20 (6) of Odisha Lokayukta Act, 2014: Orissa HC

A Division Bench of Mohammed Rafiq and B. R. Sarangi, JJ., in Ram Kumar Agrawal Engineers Pvt. Ltd. v. Odisha, 2020 SCC OnLine Ori 774, observed that even though the order of blacklisting the contractor has been challenged before this Court and the matter is pending adjudication, and the contractor himself is facing criminal case lodged against it for such negligence in the work, but that ipso facto cannot disentitle the Lokayukta to cause an enquiry under the provisions of the Odisha Lokayukta Act, 2014 for alleged corruption in the matter of execution of the work itself. The Court held that if the direction has been given to find out the lapses caused on the part of the government servant and such direction has been issued under Section 20(6) of the Odisha Lokayukta Act, 2014, this Court does not find any illegality or irregularity by issuing such direction by the Lokayukta.

If an error committed by any authority is timely rectified by it, then no irregularity or illegality can be attributed to it: Orissa HC

A Single Judge Bench of Dr B.R. Sarangi, J., in Sujata Patra v. Utkal University, 2018 SCC OnLine Ori 418, dismissed a writ petition filed against the notification which had been issued in partial modification of a previous notification and a subsequent order passed by the Vice Chancellor of the University where the petitioner was studying. The petitioner was declared failed after the results were revised, whereas initially she was declared as 2nd Class passed. The main issue that arose before the Court was whether the respondents had violated principles of natural justice while passing the impugned notification and the impugned order.

Bidding Adieu

First and foremost an advocate, Dr. Justice Sarangi fought all cases, big or small with equal zeal and vigour. In course of his versatile and stellar professional career, Dr. Justice Sarangi occupied a unique position endowed with integrity, honesty, sincerity, ability, hardworking, prompt and meticulous reading with a powerful mind, deep thinking and clear expression coupled with an understanding of human nature, he lost no time in building of solid legal practice¹⁰. Similarly, Dr. Justice Sarangi’s career as a Judge has created a solid legacy in dispensation of justice to the public at large which created a public confidence on this noble institution¹¹.

As Dr. Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi bids adieu to the life of a Judge, this by no way means that he is bidding adieu to Law itself. We truly look forward to what Dr. Justice Sarangi has in store in future, for whatever he does, the legal fraternity will be benefitted for sure.