RAM Jethmalani Passes Away: Prez Kovind, VP Naidu, PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, Def Minister Raj Nath Singh ,RSP, Law Minister, Recall His Unique Contribution To Jurisprudence
Ram Jethmalani, eminent legal luminary, Supreme Court lawyer and former union law minister, passed away at his New Delhi residence on Sunday six days before his 96th birthday. Born in his home town in Sind now in Pakistan, Jethmalani was never scared of making his mind public. He had to move to Mumbai from Sindh following partition of India. He debuted in Mumbai as a criminal lawyer. His son Mahesh Jethmalani said that his father had not been keeping well for a few months.
Jethmalani retired from his profession on September 10, 2017.He had fought several high-profile cases representing many controversial clients including stockbroker Harshad Mehta, former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, Lalu Prasad Yadav among others. His other important cases included KM Nanavati versus State of Maharashtra case in 1959, the multi-crore 2G scam in 2011, LK Advani’s Hawala scam and Arvind Kejriwal in a defamation case filed by Arun Jaitley.
Ram Jethmalani was also a member of the current Rajya Sabha. He is survived by Mahesh Jethmalani, who is also a noted lawyer, and a daughter. His other daughter, Rani Jethmalani, had passed away in 2011. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says “One of the best aspects of Shri Ram Jethmalani Ji was the ability to speak his mind. And, he did so without any fear. During the dark days of the Emergency, his fortitude and fight for public liberties will be remembered. Helping the needy was an integral part of his persona.”
Home minister Amit Shah paid his last respects to the veteran lawyer at the latter’s residence, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has lost an “exceptional lawyer and iconic public figure”, President of India Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Defence Minister Raj Nath Singh, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad were among those who condoled the demise of the distinguished jurist calling him a person of great erudition and intellect . He was Chairperson the Bar Council of India representing practicing lawyers. Ram Jethmalani obtained his LL.B.degree at the age of 17 and started practicing law in his hometown now in Pakistan until the partition of India. He married Durga Jethmalani and later, his second wife, Ratna Jethmalani. The partition led him to move to Mumbai as a refugee and he began his life afresh with his family. He was elected a member of parliament in the 6th and 7th Lo Sabha from Mumbai as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
He was Mnister of Urban Development during the prime ministership of Atal Behari Vajpayee against whom he later contested election in the general elections of 2004 from
Lucknow. However, in 2010 he came back to BJP and was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. He has been criticized as being opportunistic because of changing political affiliations. Jethmalani was a well- known face in the legal community.
