Justice Biswanath Somadder, who drove nearly 2,000 km from Allahabad via Kolkata to reach Shillong, went into home quarantine after taking oath as the chief justice of the High Court of Meghalaya on April 27.
“Chief justice had travelled by road following national protocols related to COVID-19 and honoured state protocols to self quarantine for 14 days at his official residence,” a court official said on April 28.
Governor Tathagatha Roy administered the oath of office to Justice Sommader at the Raj Bhavan, while observing all physical distancing norms prevailing due to COVID-19.
Justice Somadder embarked on a road journey since air and rail passenger services are suspended due to the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Defending the “sudden appointment” of Justice Sommader as chief justice amid the nationwide lockdown, Meghalaya’s Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said, “The judiciary needs a chief justice just a state needs a chief minister or the army needs a general.”
