Prayagraj, May 31 (IANS) Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice B.R. Gavai on Saturday said that he felt proud to be in Prayagraj and described the Allahabad High Court as a historic institution whose name is inscribed in “golden letters” in the judicial arena.

Justice Gavai was speaking at the inauguration of the new advocate chambers and a multi-level parking facility at the Allahabad High Court. This marked his first official engagement after taking oath as the Chief Justice of India.

“It is my good fortune that my first programme as CJI is at the Allahabad High Court. I have a long-standing and close relationship with Prayagraj. When I joined the Supreme Court in 2019, I formed deep personal bonds with Justices Vineet Saran, Krishna Murari, and later, Vikram Nath,” he said.

In a lighter vein, he added, “Yogi ji is powerful, but Allahabad is no land of lesser power either. Justice Vikram Nath is among the strongest judges in the country. I did not have the courage to refuse his invitation. He may not have spoken the truth today, but I don’t have the courage to contradict him. I will only say that the Allahabad Bar is a very disciplined bar.”

He lauded the rich legacy of the city and the High Court, saying, “Allahabad is spoken of with immense respect. It has given the country stalwarts like Motilal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru, and literary legends such as Mahadevi Verma, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’, and Subhadra Kumari Chauhan. The nation also salutes the contribution of freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad, whose legacy lives on.”

Praising the new infrastructure, Justice Gavai said, “The advocate chambers and multi-level parking facility are outstanding. As far as I know, no court in the world has a facility of this scale and quality. I thank Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his commitment not only to judges and lawyers but also to the common citizen.”

He emphasised the judiciary’s responsibility towards litigants, saying, “Every citizen comes to court in search of justice, and it is our duty to ensure their needs are fully met.”

Justice Gavai also congratulated judicial officers involved in ‘Operation Sindoor’ and noted the significance of inaugurating the project on the birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar.

“She was a pioneer in social welfare, and it is our constitutional duty to reach the last citizen. The bar and the bench must work in unison to move the chariot of justice forward. Today, the Allahabad High Court has set a shining example — a true role model,” he said.

–IANS

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