Former Supreme Court judge S. Ratnavel Pandian died due to cardiac arrest at his residence in Anna Nagar here on Wednesday. He was 89.
A multi-faceted personality who tried his hands in politics before entering the legal profession, he is survived by five sons, including Justice R. Subbiah, a sitting judge of the Madras High Court, and a daughter.
Justice Pandian was born at Tiruppudai Marudhur village in Tirunelveli district on March 13, 1929. He studied at the Theerthapathi High School in Ambasamudram before graduating from the Saint Xavier’s College in Palayamkottai. He took his law degree from the Madras Law College in 1954 and worked under K. Narayanaswamy Mudaliar, who later became a High Court judge.
Interestingly, Pandian had a stint in the DMK. He unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election in 1962 from Ambasamudram. Nine years later, he entered the electoral fray again from Cheranmahadevi and lost by a thin margin, which compelled him to quit politics. He was then the DMK secretary of the undivided Tirunelveli district.
He was appointed State Public Prosecutor in Madras High Court in August 1971 and held that office until his elevation as a judge of the same High Court in February 1974. He was acting Advocate General for a short period.
During his judgeship, he was the Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court twice.
While the first stint was for a short period of 11 days in January 1988, the second stint from March 13, 1988, lasted till he was elevated to the Supreme Court on December 14, 1988.
In the apex court, he was part of a Bench that decided the famous Indra Sawhney case, in which the constitutionality of reservations to Backward Classes was upheld in 1992.
After his retirement in 1994, Justice Pandian headed the fifth Central Pay Commission and submitted its final report in April 1997. He took over as chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes on August 14, 2006 and was given the status of Union Cabinet Minister for the duration of the term of his office, which lasted till 2009.
Leaders mourn
Political leaders, including M.K. Stalin of the DMK and Vaiko of the MDMK, paid homage to him.
Mr Stalin recalled that Justice Pandian had chaired a high-powered commission on the socio-economic and industrial development of the southern districts in Tamil Nadu during the DMK regime in 1999 and showed keen interest in the development of the southern region.
Former Odisha Governor M.M. Rajendran described Justice Pandian as an outstanding jurist who adorned every position he held with integrity, fairness and erudition.
TNCC president Su. Thirunavukkarasar, PMK founder S. Ramadoss and TMC leader G.K. Vasan were among those who paid rich tributes to Justice Pandian.
