Former CJI SH Kapadia passes away

Former Chief Justice of India Sarosh Homi Kapadia passed away last night following a cardiac arrest, Bombay High Court sources said on Tuesday.

Mumbai: Former Chief Justice of India Sarosh Homi Kapadia, who delivered some landmark judgements, passed away here last night following a cardiac arrest, Bombay High Court sources said on Tuesday.

He was 68 and is survived by wife, son, who is a Chartered Accountant, and daughter. Justice Kapadia's funeral was held as per Parsi tradition this evening at 'Tower of Silence' at Kemps Corner, South Mumbai.

The judges and staff of the High Court were among those who attended the last rites. Born in 1947 in Mumbai (then Bombay), Justice Kapadia graduated from the city-based Government Law College, the oldest law institute in Asia. Justice Kapadia started his career as a Class IV employee.

He later joined Gagrat & Co, a law firm, as a clerk and went on to work with Feroze Damania, a popular 'firebrand' labour lawyer. He became an advocate in the Bombay High Court on September 10, 1974.

Justice Kapadia was appointed as additional judge of the Bombay High Court on October 8, 1991, and on March 23, 1993, he was appointed a permanent judge.

On August 5, 2003, he became the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court.

On December 18, 2003 he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court. In May 12, 2010, he was sworn in as the 38th Chief Justice of India and served at the top post till retirement on September 29, 2012.

Notable among the judgements he delivered were the quashing of appointment of the Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas in 2011.

He also gave a dissenting judgement in Lalu Prasad Yadav's bail cancellation case. During his tenure as CJI, he was the Chairman of the General Council of the Gujarat National Law University and Visitor of the National Law School of India University.

Justice Kapadia was married to Shernaaz. He held interest in economics, public finance, theoretical physics, and Hindu and Buddhist philosophies.

The High Court staff paid homage to Justice Kapadia, whom they described as a nice and affectionate person.