CUTTACK: Justice Bala Krishna Behera, former Judge of Orissa High Court, passed away after a protracted illness at private hospital here on Friday. He was 91 and is survived by wife, three sons and five daughters. Born on November 28, 1926 at Balangir, Behera joined Odisha Judicial Service in 1966 and served in several capacities such as District and Sessions Judge of Balasore, Baripada, Koraput and Cuttack.
He was the first person from the Western Odisha to be the Judge of Orissa High Court in 1981. He retired from service in 1987. In 1993, Justice Behera was appointed to the one-man enquiry commission to probe into the infamous Cuttack liquor tragedy. Eminent personalities including Chief Justice Vineet Saran, Advocate General Surya Prasad Mishra, Collector Nirmal Mishra and DCP Sanjeev Arora paid tributes to the departed soul at his residence. Behera’s last rites were conducted at Swargadwar in Puri.