Cuttack: Orissa high court on Sunday celebrated its 79th foundation day by paying floral tributes to its first Chief Justice, Bira Kishore Ray, on the court premises here. The day also coincided with Justice Ray’s death anniversary, observed every year as part of the foundation day commemorations.Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak, fellow judges, advocate-general Pitambar Acharya and members of the legal fraternity garlanded Justice Ray’s statue as a mark of tribute to his contribution to the establishment of the state’s highest judicial institution.“Justice Bira Kishore Ray, the first advocate-general of the newly created Orissa province, became the first Chief Justice of the Orissa high court on July 26, 1948. He passed away exactly 10 years later, on July 26, 1958, the court’s tenth foundation day,”, secretary of the Justice B K Ray Memorial Committee and advocate Bijay Kumar Ragada told TOI.From a modest beginning with just four judges, Orissa High Court has expanded significantly over nearly eight decades. It currently functions with 17 judges, including the Chief Justice, against a sanctioned strength of 33.
