Karnataka: Justice Vibhu Bakhru was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on Saturday during a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru.
The oath was administered by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the Glass House within the Raj Bhavan grounds, in the presence of various judges from the judiciary and representatives from the state government.
Following his inauguration, Chief Justice Bakhru was also felicitated by the Governor. The event saw participation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, who extended their congratulations. Several judges of the Karnataka High Court, including former Acting Chief Justice V. Kameshwar Rao, attended the ceremony.
As the Chief Justice, Vibhu Bakhru will be responsible for overseeing the judiciary in Karnataka and presiding over the high court’s principal bench in Bengaluru. Bakhru’s appointment follows a distinguished legal career, most notably as a senior judge at the Delhi High Court. His elevation to this position was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.
Born in Nagpur in 1966, Justice Bakhru completed his schooling at Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, New Delhi. He initially trained as a Chartered Accountant, enrolling with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and beginning his articles with Thakur, Vaidyanath Aiyar & Co. in 1985. He graduated from Delhi University in 1987, passed his Chartered Accountancy final exam in 1989, and obtained his LLB degree in 1990, subsequently enrolling as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi.
He practiced law in the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, Company Law Board, and various other tribunals. Recognized as a Senior Advocate in Delhi in 2011, Bakhru was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in 2013 and became a permanent judge in 2015. He also served as Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court from December 2024 to January 2025.