File Photo By: Anil Shakya
On his last working day in the Supreme Court, Justice Madan B Lokur was given a warm farewell by the members of the bar and the bench, bringing to an end an illustrious career that spanned over four decades.
“This is an emotional moment for me…I feel that my right arm has been taken away, there is no doubt that Justice Lokur is an outstanding jiudge”, said the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi while recalling their long association thyat stretched over five decades, at a farewell function organized on the lawns of the apex court. Friday was the last working day for Justice Lokur who is to officially retire on December 31. Justice Gogoi said Justice Lokur was a ‘pro-citizen, pro-vtictim judge’, adding that it was clear from his decision to protect the identity of rape victims in the Nipun Saxena case.
Attorny General KK Venugopal too praised the outgoing judge saying Justice Lokur was an outstanding person whose heart and empathy were in the right place, his integrity unquestioned. ““I have been at the receiving end of Justice Madan Lokur’s judicial philosophy and have debated with him fiercely. But at the end of every debate, I have left with more respect for him” The AG said.
Justice Lokur was sworn in as a Justuice of the Supreme Court in 2012 by the then Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia. Besides striking down the order on sub-quota for minorities within 27 per cent OBC reservation, Justice Lokur recently suspended and ordered the prosecution of Special CBI Judge T Pattabhirama Rao in a corruption case relating to the Karnataka`s controversial mining barons Reddy brothers.The action followed complaints that the judge granted bail to Bellary mining magnate Gali Janardhana Reddy after pocketing a bribe.
Justice Lokur, who earlier served as Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, was elevated from the Delhi bar as an Additional Judge of Delhi High Court in February 1999. He continued to be at the Delhi High Court till his transfer to the Northeast in June 24, 2010. Following a 18-month tenure there, Justice Lokur took oath as Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court on November 15, 2011.
–India Legal Bureau