Bengaluru: Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka on Friday took oath as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court at the Raj Bhavan here in the city. He was administered the oath by Governor Vajubhai Vala in the presence of Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy and Dy.CM Dr. G Parameshwar.
Justice Oka was the second senior most judge in Bombay High Court before his elevation as the Karnataka High Court’s Chief Justice.
59-year old Justice Oka enrolled as an Advocate in 1983 and was later elevated as the Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in August 2003 and was confirmed as the permanent Judge in November 2005.
After Karnataka High Court’s Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari was elevated as the Judge of Supreme Court in January this year, Justice L Narayana Swamy was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, DG&IGP Neelamani N Raju and others were present during the oath taking ceremony on Friday.
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Mumbai: In an unprecedented moment during a high-level military media briefing, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai invoked the name of cricket legend Virat Kohli, shortly after the former Indian skipper announced his retirement from Test cricket.
The joint media briefing, held by top military officials from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, detailed the successful execution of Operation Sindoor, a coordinated Indian military strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
While explaining the depth and coordination of India’s military grid system, Lt Gen Ghai made a cricketing analogy involving Kohli and iconic Australian bowlers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee. “Back in the 70s, during the famous Ashes series between Australia and England, two of Australia’s legendary fast bowlers—Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee—wreaked havoc on the English batting line-up. Their dominance was so overwhelming that the Australians came up with a saying: ‘From ashes to ashes and from dust to dust, if Thommo don't get you, then Lillee surely must,’” he said.
Drawing a parallel to India's multilayered military grid, he added, “If you look closely at the layers, you’ll understand what I mean—even if you manage to get through all of them, one layer of this grid system is bound to catch you.”
Calling Virat Kohli his “favourite cricketer,” Lt Gen Ghai said he was watching the cricketer’s emotional farewell to Test cricket just before the briefing. “Like many Indians, he is my favourite cricketer,” he noted.
VIDEO | Special Defence Briefing on India-Pakistan military action: Referring to Indian cricketer Virat Kohli's retirement from Tests earlier in the day, DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai drew a parallel between cricket and military operations. Here's what he said:
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Earlier in the day, Virat Kohli officially announced his retirement from the longest format of the game via a heartfelt message on Instagram. “It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” Kohli wrote.
He added, “There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.”
Kohli’s decision comes days after Rohit Sharma’s own exit from Test cricket, sparking widespread speculation over the future of India’s senior players. His retirement marks the end of an era for Indian Test cricket, which he helped redefine with his aggressive approach and match-winning performances both at home and overseas.