Senior advocate, former politician and one of India's tallest legal doyens Ram Jethmalani passed away today.
Senior advocate, former politician and one of India's tallest legal doyens Ram Jethmalani passed away today. He was 95 years old.
He has served as India's Union Law Minister and as the chair of the Bar Council of India.
He is survived by his son and daughter.
PM Modi wrote: "One of the best aspects of #RamJethmalani was the ability to speak his mind. And, he did so without any fear. During dark days of Emergency, his fortitude and fight for public liberties will be remembered. Helping the needy was an integral part of his persona.I consider myself fortunate to have got numerous opportunities to interact with #RamJethmalani. In these sad moments, my condolences to his family, friends and many admirers. He may not be here but his pioneering work will live on! Om Shanti."
Home Minister Amit Shah wrote: “Deeply pained to know about the passing away of India’s veteran lawyer and former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani ji. In him we have not only lost a distinguished lawyer but also a great human who was full of life.”
He retired from the legal professional in Sep 2017. He was a BJP MP in the sixth and seventh Lok Sabha from Mumbai and also served as the Law Minister and Minister of Urban Development under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He has appeared in several high-profile cases including Harshad Mehta scam, the Narasimha Rao bribery case and even the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
He was born in 1923 in Shikharpur in Sind and obtained a law degree at the tender age of 17 where he practiced pre-partition. In fact, the Chief Justice of Sind passed a special rule allowing him to practice since the legal age was 21. He moved to Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay) in 1948 and appeared in the high-profile KM Nanavati vs State of Bombay Case in 1959, one of the last cases to use a jury.
He was bestowed the sobriquet ‘smuggler’s lawyer’ for defending Haji Mastan. He was a minister in Vajpayee’s NDA govt and was part of the 6th and 7th Lok Sabha from Mumbai. He would later contest against Vajpayee in 2004 from Lucknow.
Most recently, he was in the news for sending Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal a Rs 1.5 crore bill.
Reacting, Kejriwal wrote; “Extremely saddened at the passing away of legendary lawyer Ram Jethmalani ji. An institution in himself, he shaped criminal law in post-independence India. His void would never be filled and his name will be written in golden words in legal history. RIP Ram sir.”
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy wrote: “My friend turned foe turned very good friend Ram Jethmalani passed away today at 95 years age. Farewell friend.”
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