Ram Jethmalani, one of India’s most renowned lawyers, is a man who has seen it all, from a humble beginning in a remote village in pre-partition Sindh to the highest echelons of the judiciary in India. A man of many hats, he has been an eminent lawyer, a former Union Law Minister, a Member of Parliament, and a distinguished politician. His life story is one of immense struggle and success, and it continues to inspire many to this day.
A brilliant orator and a sharp legal mind, Jethmalani was born in the Sindhi town of Shikarpur in 19. He was one of the youngest candidates to ever pass the bar exam in India, and he soon started practising as a lawyer in Karachi, Pakistan. In 1947, during Partition, he moved to India where he worked as a lawyer in the Bombay High Court.
Jethmalani soon rose to fame for his excellent legal skills and for taking up cases which were considered unpopular. He was appointed as the Additional Solicitor General of India in the 1970s and later became the Union Law Minister in the 1990s. He also served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha in the 2000s.
Jethmalani is best known for his advocacy of human rights and civil liberties. He has argued a number of landmark cases in the Supreme Court and High Courts of India, and has been involved in several high-profile cases. He has also authored several books on legal topics.
Jethmalani has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to the field of law and justice in India. He has received numerous awards and honorary doctorates, and has been conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour. He is still active in the legal profession and continues to inspire many.
Born on September 14, 1923 in a small village in Sindh, now in Pakistan, Ram Jethmalani was a brilliant student from an early age. He moved to Mumbai in his teenage years and studied at Wilson College, where he topped his class and earned an LLB degree from Government Law College in the same city. It was in 1948 when he began practicing law in the Bombay High Court.
His career as a lawyer saw a meteoric rise, and soon he was appointed as the Additional Solicitor General of India in the year
1. During this time, he argued several landmark cases that made headlines, including the infamous K.M. Nanavati case in 1959, the Habeas Corpus case in the Supreme Court in 1976, and the Bofors scandal case in
2. His success in these cases earned him the title of India’s ‘most famous lawyer’
In 1971, he entered the world of politics when he was elected to the Rajya Sabha. From then until 1996, he held various positions in the Indian government, including that of the Union Law Minister during the Morarji Desai government in
3. He also unsuccessfully contested for the office of the President of India in
4.
His career saw its share of controversies, including his resignation from the Rajya Sabha in 2008 and his involvement in the 2G spectrum case. He was also involved in several high-profile cases in the recent years, such as the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case and the Arun Jaitley vs. Arvind Kejriwal defamation case.
In 2014, he received the Padma Vibhushan award, India’s second highest civilian honour, in recognition of his immense contribution to the Indian legal system.
Jethmalani died on 8 September 2019 in New Delhi at his home at the age of 95. According to his son Mahesh Jethmalani, he was unwell for the last few months and died at 7:45 AM (IST), six days short of his 96th birthday.
Ram Jethmalani’s remarkable journey has been an inspiration to many, and his life story continues to be an example of the power of hard work and determination. He is a living legend and will be remembered for generations to come.
