Bengaluru: Noted Jurist and former Governor of Bihar and Jharkhand M. Rama Jois (89) passed away here on Tuesday, following brief illness.

He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

Mandagadde Rama Jois was born at Araga in Shivamogga District in 1931 and studied Law in Shivamogga and Bengaluru. 

He enrolled as an advocate in 1959. During the Emergency, Jois was imprisoned along with BJP stalwarts Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani and other leaders in Bengaluru    Central Jail.

Known for his legal acumen, he was appointed as a Judge of the Karnataka High Court in 1977 and later elevated as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1992.

After retirement, Jois identified himself with the BJP and was picked as the Governor of Bihar and  Jharkhand (2002-2004) by the then NDA Government headed by Vajpayee. In 2008, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha. He also served as a Counsel for Vishwa Hindu Parishat (VHP).