Justice Surya Kant to lay stones for new buildings at HC premises

Patna: Chief Justice of India (CJI) justice Surya Kant arrived here on Friday on a two-day visit to the state capital to participate in various events. It was his maiden visit to Bihar after he took over as the 53rd CJI on November 24 last year.

The CJI will, on Saturday, lay foundation stones for the construction of new buildings at the Patna high court premises, besides attending the ‘bhumi-pujan’ (ground-breaking) ceremony for the new campus of the Bihar Judicial Academy (BJA). He will also virtually inaugurate the Judges’ Guest House in Gaya.

The ceremony will take place in the presence of Supreme Court judges justice Sanjay Karol, justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, justice Rajesh Bindal, Patna high court acting Chief Justice justice Sudhir Singh and other companion judges.

The foundation stone will be laid for the construction of various new buildings, including the ADR (alternative dispute resolution) building and auditorium, administrative block, multi-level car parking, IT building, residential complex, annexe building of the advocate general office, and hospital.

The event marks a significant step towards strengthening the infrastructure of the Patna high court and making the administration of justice more efficient.

“The Patna high court campus is undergoing a major infrastructure upgrade with the proposed construction of several multi-storey buildings, aimed at enhancing administrative, judicial and residential facilities,” a law department official said on Friday.

The project has a total estimated cost of Rs 302.56 crore and covers a built-up area of 46,675 square metres, the official said.

Besides these, justice Surya Kant will be the chief guest at Chanakya National Law University’s (CNLU) annual convocation on Saturday and deliver the convocation address.

CNLU vice-chancellor Faizan Mustafa said state education minister Sunil Kumar will be the guest of honour, while Patna high court’s acting chief justice and CNLU Chancellor Sudhir Singh will preside over the event.

Three Supreme Court judges — justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, justice Sanjay Karol and justice Rajesh Bindal — along with several Patna HC judges will attend the ceremony.

A total of 1,134 students, including 34 PhDs, 339 postgraduates and 761 undergraduates, will receive degrees. 76 students will get medals for academic excellence. The newly built ashoka auditorium and CNLU’s cyber security and digital forensics centre will also be inaugurated.