Gandhinagar, May 13 (IANS) Retired Gujarat High Court judge Justice Biren Vaishnav was on Wednesday sworn in as the Lokayukta of Gujarat at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Gandhinagar, with Governor Acharya Devvrat administering the oath of office.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, members of the state Cabinet and senior government officials attended the oath-taking ceremony.

According to an official statement issued after the event, the Governor, the Chief Minister and other dignitaries congratulated Justice Vaishnav on his appointment as the state’s Lokayukta, an anti-corruption ombudsman responsible for examining complaints against public functionaries.

Justice Biren Aniruddh Vaishnav served as a judge of the Gujarat High Court from April 2016 until his retirement in May 2025.

He was elevated as an additional judge of the High Court on April 6, 2016, and was later confirmed as a permanent judge in March 2018.

During his tenure, Justice Vaishnav heard a wide range of matters relating to service law, administrative disputes and constitutional issues.

He also served as Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court on multiple occasions earlier this year during the leave period of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal.

The Union government had issued notifications regarding his appointment as Acting Chief Justice in February and April 2025.

Several of Justice Vaishnav’s judgments dealt with government service matters, employee rights and administrative procedures.

According to records, in one ruling in 2022, he observed that medical reimbursement claims of government employees should not be rejected mechanically.

The appointment fills a significant constitutional post in Gujarat, with the Lokayukta institution tasked with addressing allegations of corruption and maladministration involving public servants and state authorities.

The ceremony at Lok Bhavan concluded with senior officials and dignitaries extending their wishes to the newly appointed Lokayukta.

–IANS

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