Ranchi, March 24: Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court on Friday.

Governor Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to the Chief Justice at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan attended by all the sitting judges of Jharkhand High Court, Justices B.K. Nayak, S. Pujahari and Sujit Narayan Prasad of Orissa High Court and a number of senior advocates from Odisha and Jharkhand besides other dignitaries.

Soft spoken and jovial, Mohanty is also known for being a hard taskmaster and an expert in criminal, constitutional and civil laws.

A senior official of Jharkhand High Court said Mohanty was a God-fearing man who believed imparting justice was a form of service to the Almighty. He regards his personal chamber as a place of worship and takes off his shoes before entering his office.

During his days as a lawyer, Mohanty was known for his cheerfulness and fondness for festivals. He would actively take part in the gathering of advocates on Holi, a judicial officer from Odisha said.

Hailing from a family of eminent jurists, Mohanty started his practice as an advocate in Orissa High Court in 1978. Mohanty's father Late Justice Jugal Kishore Mohanty was the Chief Justice of the Sikkim high court before he retired. His maternal grandfather, Late Justice Raj Kishore Das, was a judge in Orissa High Court. Mohanty became a secretary of the Orissa High Court Bar Association and the Orissa State Bar Council before being elevated as a judge in March 2002. He had also served as the acting Chief Justice of the high court five times.

Mohanty was transferred to Jharkhand in April 2016 and was appointed as the acting Chief Justice in October following the retirement of Virender Singh. Mohanty will be the eleventh Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court.