Former CJI RC Lahoti dies at 81; PM leads tributes

Justice Lahoti, who was known in the legal circles as a man of few words, was born in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, in 1940. He was the 35th CJI and served the office for over 17 months till his retirement in October 2005.

“Justice Lahoti will always be remembered as a fearless independent judge who enriched legal jurisprudence in this country until his last breath,” CJI Ramana said.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Anguished by the passing away of former CJI Shri RC Lahoti ji. He will be remembered for his contributions to the judiciary and emphasis on ensuring speedy justice to the underprivileged. Condolences to his family and well-wishers. Om Shanti.”

Justice Lahoti was appointed a district and sessions judge in the state in 1977. However, he resigned a year later to practise law in the High Court. A decade later, Justice Lahoti was appointed an Additional Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and in 1998 he became a Supreme Court judge.

Former CJI RM Lodha told The Indian Express, “I have lost a very dear friend who was very compassionate and was also a man of robust humour. His tenure as CJI was marked by the way he carried all colleagues along with him and how all decisions were taken with consensus.”

In a tweet, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “Saddened to hear of the passing away of Shri RC Lahoti, former Chief Justice of India. He rose from a humble background and reached the highest position of our country’s judiciary because of his ability, knowledge and wisdom.”

After retirement, CJI Lahoti headed the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad’s Nyay Chaupal, a forum set up with the stated aim of solving civil disputes that are an outcome of the “crumbling family structure in the new societal order”.