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Bold & brusque, Jethmalani was feared equally by friends and foes

FIESTY TO THE END: Just six days shy of his 96th birthday, India’s finest criminal lawyer breathes his last at Delhi residence

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to Ram Jethmalani at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday
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Ram Boolchand Jethmalani, one of the finest criminal law practitioners the country ever witnessed, left for his heavenly abode on Sunday, with just six days remaining for his 96th birthday.

Bold and brusque, Jethmalani was feared equally by his friends and foes. His forthrightness in speaking his mind set him apart, and his strong conviction to advocate for truth led him to take up cases for persons whom nobody would represent. Probably this was the reason he never had permanent friends or foes in the legal profession or in politics.

His wit flowed freely with his speech, whether it was during the arguments in court or at public events. In the fodder cases, he appeared before CJI for former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad and protested his client did not get a hearing on his petition despite an assurance from the court. It was March of 2009. The judge posted the case on April 1. Jethmalani, quipped, "I hope 1st April does not mean what it means."

It was ironic that he defended some of the high-profile political leaders of the likes of Lalu Yadav, J Jayalalithaa, BS Yediyurappa, or LK Advani against charges of corruption, yet decided to file a petition in 2011 to bring back black money of corrupt netas and corporate magnets from overseas to India.

He was the grand old man at the bar and awed judges with his powerful voice and sharp memory. Jethmalani was once asked by a SC judge to appear for a matter during summer vacations. As he was to spend his vacation abroad, he refused. The judge remarked, "So that is more important." But Jethmalani never took anything lying down. He shot back saying, "That is more important for a person of 87."

Jethmalani's tryst with the media came when he launched his newspaper titled 'The Sunday Guardian'. In the 2G spectrum scam while appearing for the main accused and former Union Minister A Raja, when judges remarked they do not watch TV or read newspapers, next day Jethmalani brought a copy of his newspaper having his article. The judges obliged him by packing the broadsheet home.

Jethmalani had a special love for Mumbai trial courts, where he started his career. During the hearing of Sohrabuddin fake encounter killing case where he represented Amit Shah, who was then Gujarat's Home Minister, the SC was determined to shift the trial outside the state. Jethmalani asked the bench, "I hope you will shift the trial to Maharashtra. I will have the pleasure to conduct a trial after many years."

Delhi CM Kejriwal was possibly the last person he appeared for before he decided to hang his gown. While the cases where he left his indelible mark are numerous, Jethmalani was an enigma who had a mind of his own.

NATION PAYS TRIBUTE TO ACE LAWYER

  • Born in Sindh on Sept 14, 1923
     
  • Earned his law degree at 17
     
  • Practised in Karachi till Partition
     
  • Top criminal lawyer known for his techniques of cross-examination of witnesses 
     
  • Was one of the highest-paid lawyers in the country
     
  • Served as law minister and later the urban development minister in PM Vajpayee’s cabinet
     
  • Served as the chairman of the Bar Council of India during Emergency

JETHMALANI’S CRAFTY COURTROOM BATTLES 

  • Against Bombay State (1948): Fought his first case in Bombay HC against a law passed by then CM of Bombay State, Morarji Desai. The law treated refugees like convicted prisoners; he won
     
  • Nanavati Murder Case (1962): A love-triangle where a naval officer was tried for the murder of his wife’s alleged lover
     
  • Challenging Emergency (1975): Came to be called the Habeas Corpus case. In a stunning verdict, the SC ruled in Centre’s favour
     
  • Defending Indira Gandhi’s assassins: Defended Balbir Singh and Khehar Singh, but could not save Khehar, who was given death.
     
  • Defending Rajiv Gandhi’s killers: Argued for commuting LTTE operative Murugan’s death sentence on the grounds that he had spent more than 23 years in prison

OTHER CASES

  • Defended Afzal Guru in the 2001 Parliament attack case
     
  • Represented Manu Sharma, prime accused in Jessica Lal murder case
     
  • Appeared for LK Advani in the hawala case
     
  • For Jayalalithaa in dis-proportionate assets case
     
  • Represented Kanimozhi in 2G scam trial
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