‘Accelerated video conferencing in HC amid these tough times’

Vaibhav Ganjapure | TNN | Apr 28, 2020, 04:59 IST

Nagpur: After putting in over 42 years into the judiciary as a lawyer, judge and then adorning the chair of Chief Justice (CJ), his last day didn’t came on expected lines due to coronavirus. Only the second CJ from Vidarbha after justice S Kotwal, justice Bhushan Dharmadhikari who preferred to retire from his hometown had already instructed members of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) and others to keep it an extremely low-key affair.
Only president Gauri Venkatraman, secretary Prafulla Khubalkar and vice-president Purushottam Patil completed the formalities. Instead of bouquets, they showed him the video clip where HCBA members, including senior lawyers, gave him wishes. Besides them, justices Ravi Deshpande, Rohit Deo and Amit Borkar along with senior counsel Jugalkishore Gilda attended his farewell. He was appointed as acting CJ on February 24 and later granted full-time charge on March 20. In a freewheeling chat with TOI, the outgoing CJ spoke on his tenure and achievements.
Excerpts...
How was your tenure?
It was satisfactory wherein I tried to dispose of old matters pending since long. Of course, pendency couldn’t be reduced overnight even with 70 judges. As a judge in the division bench, I disposed of Laxmi Bank liquidation matter pending since 1960. The other case that I remember was Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) that was filed prior to 1947, which we disposed of. Whenever I had free time, I made all efforts to dispose of many old criminal cases and was successful.
What are your achievements?
There was not much scope for carrying out major changes due to Covid-19 and lockdown. But I could accelerate video conferencing process, first in principal seat at Mumbai and then HC benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad and Panaji. Though it was already started by the HC administration, it was successfully implemented in these tough times with the help of Supreme Court e-committee. It significantly helped in reduction of court attendance.
Have the lawyers cooperated?
We started this facility with the help of techno-savvy lawyers where only urgent matters were taken initially. In Mumbai, it was impossible for the lawyers to get hard copies in absence of local trains, but they helped in sending soft copies and fully cooperated in the process. Due to lawyers’ help, we’ve not only maintained social distancing but also granted relief to many litigants.
What are your plans after retirement?
After putting in practice for over four decades, I will take two to three months rest in the city. I am thinking of joining practice like in consultation or arbitration and do some writing.
Any landmark/major judgments you remember?
I remember removal of religious encroachments on roads which neither the administration nor the politicians were able to do due to sheer public pressure. Then one case I presided over was a sensitive one where a religious head’s body was exhumed and buried at another place after the court’s orders. It helped in easing out big tension in the city. At Panaji, I dealt with a slew of serious criminal matters that included political murders. Even in PIL related to electrocution deaths, I had constituted a committee to check and address the issue in the city.