- Muralidhar completed his schooling and college education in Chennai. He graduated with a B.Sc in Chemistry from Vivekananda College, Chennai in 1981, and earned his law degree (BL) from the University of Madras in 1984, securing the first rank. He further pursued an LL.M from Nagpur University in 1990, once again topping his class. In February 2003, he was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Delhi for his doctoral research on “Legal Aid and the Criminal Justice System in India.”
Muralidhar began his legal career in Chennai in 1984 before moving his practice to Delhi in 1987, where he represented clients at the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court for nearly two decades. Known for his pro bono work and PIL cases, he was actively involved with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee and served as counsel for the Election Commission of India and the National Human Rights Commission. He was also a part-time member of the Law Commission from 2002 to 2006.
On 29 May 2006, Muralidhar was appointed a Judge of the Delhi High Court. He later became the Chief Justice of the High Court of Orissa on 4 January 2021, retiring from the position on 7 August 2023. As a judge, he contributed significantly across various branches of law, including constitutional, commercial, arbitration, tax, and criminal law. His tenure as Chief Justice saw reforms in both administrative and judicial areas, notably the establishment of digitisation centers for court records, and the Centre for Judicial Archives and Museum of Justice in Cuttack.
On 17 October 2023, Muralidhar was designated as Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court of India and has since resumed his legal practice.
