New Delhi: Judges and lawyers of the Delhi
High Court today expressed grief and sorrow at the demise of
senior advocate P N Lekhi, who died on Sunday following
old-age related ailment.
In his condolence message, Acting Chief Justice Madan B
Lokur in a Full Court Reference held at 12.30pm said, "Lekhi
was firm and gentle."
Recounting his experience as a lawyer with Lekhi in the
High Court, Justice Lokur said, "Lekhi was always prepared for
the hearing and he had also with him the citations to go
against contentions."
High Court Bar Association President A S Chandhiok said,
"Lekhi remained President of the Bar for five times and with
his departure we lost one more doyen who witnessed several
leading cases..."
Lekhi (85) died at AIIMS around 4:30 pm on Sunday. He is
survived by his wife Kamla, son Aman, and two daughters.
Lekhi was one of the defence counsels in Indira Gandhi
assassination case.
He was appointed as government pleader when Shah
Commission was set up after the Emergency.
He was also the advocate for Rashtriya Mukti Morcha
(RMM), a non-governmental organisation which filed a petition
relating to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery case.
The advocate was counsel for the RMM, which raised the
issue of the foreign origins of Congress president Sonia
Gandhi in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.
Lekhi also represented Zaheera Sheikh, a key witness in
the Best Bakery case of the Gujarat riots, in the Supreme
Court.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 23:03