Ram Jethmalani
Ram Jethmalani | |
---|---|
Mumbai North-West | |
Personal details | |
Born | |
Died | 8 September 2019 New Delhi, India | (aged 95)
Political party | Rashtriya Janata Dal (After 2016) |
Other political affiliations | Bharatiya Janata Party (1980–85) Janata Dal (1989–93) Pavitra Hindustan Kazhagam (1995) Bharatiya Janata Party (2010–2013) |
Spouses | Durga Jethmalani (m. 1941)Ratna Jethmalani (m. 1947) |
Residence(s) | 2, Akbar Road, New Delhi, India[1] |
Alma mater | S.C. Shahani Law College, Karachi- University of Bombay |
Profession | Lawyer, Jurist, Professor of Law, Politician, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist |
Ram Boolchand Jethmalani (14 September 1923 – 8 September 2019) was an Indian lawyer and politician. He served as India's
Jethmalani obtained his
Throughout his political career, Jethmalani worked for improving the relations between India and Pakistan, owing to his experiences as a refugee post-partition. He was elected as member of the
Jethmalani was awarded the Human Rights Award by World Peace Through Law in 1977. He authored books such as Big Egos, Small Men; Conscience of a Maverick; and Maverick: Unchanged, Unrepentant; among others. He also co-authored legal scholarly books on different fields of law.
Personal life
Jethmalani was born on 14 September 1923 in
Jethmalani married his first wife, Durga, in a traditional Indian arranged marriage, around the age of 18. In 1947, just before partition, he married his second wife, Ratna Shahani, a lawyer by profession. His family includes both of his wives and four children – three by Durga (Rani, Shobha, Mahesh) and one by Ratna (Janak).[4][5] Among his two sons and two daughters, Mahesh and Rani have been supreme court lawyers while Mahesh is also a BJP leader, and Rani a social activist.[6]
Jethmalani died on 8 September 2019 in New Delhi at his home at the age of 95.[2] 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.[7][8]
Career
Legal career
Ram Jethmalani started his career as a lawyer and Professor in Sindh before partition.
Jethmalani fought his first case at the age of 17 in the court of Sindh under Justice Godfrey Davis, contesting the rule regarding minimum age passed by the Bar Council of Sindh. In a talk at Algebra in June 2017, Jethmalani recounted his first case fought in India as a refugee. The newly introduced Bombay Refugees Act treated refugees in an inhumane manner, against which Jethmalani filed a case in the Bombay High Court, praying for the law to be declared unconstitutional; a case he won.[10]
Jethmalani later came to be noted for his appearance in the
In 1954, he became a part-time Professor at the
During his career he was involved in a number of high-profile defence cases as lawyer
On 9 September 2017, he announced his retirement from the legal profession.[36]
Political career
Jethmalani's experience during the partition as a refugee led him to advocate for better relations between India and Pakistan, which he sought throughout his political career.
He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1988 and the
He had also announced his candidature for President of India stating: "I owe it to the nation to offer my services". He launched his own political fronts, the Bharat Mukti Morcha, as a "mass movement" in 1987. In 1995, he launched his own political party called the Pavitra Hindustan Kazhagam, with the motto to achieve "transparency in functioning of Indian democracy".[39]
In the general elections of 2004, he contested against Atal Bihari Vajpayee from the Lucknow constituency as an independent candidate. The Indian National Congress did not field their candidates in this election; however, he lost. Later on, in 2010, he was given a Rajya Sabha ticket by Bharatiya Janta Party from Rajasthan and he was elected. He was also a member of the Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.[1] Jethmalani has been criticised as being "opportunistic" as a result of this.[41] Jethmalani was noted for speaking his mind;[42] at a reception hosted by the Pakistan High Commission for the Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar who was on a visit to India on 28 July 2011, Jethmalani in the presence of the Chinese ambassador called China an enemy of both India and Pakistan and warned the Indians and Pakistanis to beware of the Chinese.[43]
In December 2009, the
In 2012, Jethmalani wrote to then Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari, accusing opposition BJP leaders of being "silent against the huge corruption" within the ruling UPA-II government, and stated that BJP "is sick".[45] Jethmalani's letter[46] became public on the internet. The same year, in November, Jethmalani wrote a letter to BJP leader L.K. Advani asking for the removal of Nitin Gadkari as the president of the BJP.[5] He cited the allegations of corruption levelled against Gadkari as the reason for his demand.[5] He had stated "When there are serious allegations against Gadkari, he should have stayed away, if only to raise his stature in the public eye,".[5] He publicly criticised Gadkari, even though Gadkari continued to be the BJP president. When Jethmalani was questioned if the BJP's parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), that had been supporting Gadkari, was controlling BJP, Jethmalani had replied "I am sure the RSS is trying to influence the functioning of the BJP. After all, BJP leaders have grown up with the RSS,".[5]
In May 2013, BJP expelled Jethmalani from the party for six years, for having made anti-party statements.[47] In October 2013, defamation charges were framed against BJP seeking ₹50 lakh (US$63,000) as "null and void and damages" for making a statement that he was not a fit person to be member of the party.[48][46]
Awards and achievements
Books
Books by Jethmalani
- Big Egos, Small MenISBN 978-8-1241-2002-6)
- Conflict of Laws (1955)[52]
- Conscience of a MaverickISBN 8174765719)
- Justice: Soviet Style[54][51]
- Maverick: Unchanged, UnrepentantISBN 8129133504)
Jethmalani had also co-authored various legal scholarly books on fields of law such as criminal law, administrative law, and media law.[55]
Books on Jethmalani
- Ram Jethmalani : The Authorized Biography by Nalini Gera (ISBN 0670049360)
- Rebel: A Biography of Ram Jethmalani by Susan Adelman (ISBN 9386495074)
In popular culture
- Actor
- Actor Sumeet Vyas portrays Ram Jethmalani in Hindi webseries The Verdict based on real life incident that is Nanavati case available on OTT platform Zee5 and in association with Ekta Kapoor's Alt Balaji.
- Actor Ram Kapoor portrays Jethmalani in the Bollywood film The Big Bull, starring Abhishek Bachchan, loosely based on the life and crimes of Harshad Mehta.
- Actor Sachin Khedekar portrays Jethmalani in the 2016 Bollywood film Rustom.
See also
- K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra
References
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- ^ a b "Ram Jethmalani, Eminent Supreme Court Lawyer and Former Law Minister, Passes Away at 96". News18. 8 September 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "Top most Indian Lawyer: Sindhi Genius Of Indian Law : Ram Jethmalani". The Sindhu World. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ a b c d e http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi-times/Ram-Jethmalani-In-black-and-white/articleshow/9580860.cms Archived 4 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine Ram Jethmalani: In black and white: Times New Network, 12 May 2002.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "'I plead guilty to being a bad husband. But avatars like Ram don't do so'". The Telegraph. Kolkota.
- ^ Deshpande, Vinaya (1 January 2012). "Social activist Rani Jethmalani passes away". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ Vaidyanathan, A; Bhasin, Swati (8 September 2019). "Ram Jethmalani, Veteran Lawyer And Former Union Minister, Dies At 95". NDTV. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "Ram Jethmalani, eminent lawyer and former Union law minister, passes away". The Times of India. 8 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
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- ^ "Jethmalani new SCBA president". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 8 May 2010. Archived from the original on 14 May 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
- ^ Legally India. "Breaking: Ram Jethmalani elected as SCBA president to repair damage done". Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- ^ "RIP Ram Jethmalani: India's Finest Criminal Lawyer Leaves Behind Rich Legacy". India Today. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
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- ^ a b c Adnal, Madhuri (8 September 2019). "Ram Jethmalani's complete family tree explained". One India. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
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- ^ Magan, Srishti (17 October 2020). "Real Vs. Reel: Characters In 'Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story' & Their Real-Life Counterparts". ScoopWhoop. Retrieved 11 April 2021.