Justice Chelameswar hailed for 'upholding democracy'
New Delhi, May 18: Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar, who is retiring on Friday, shared a bench with Chief Justice Dipak Misra on his last working day and lawyers praised him saying he did a "great job in upholding democracy".
As the bench was about to rise for the day, Justice Chelameswar won the praise of lawyers. Senior advocate Rajiv Dutta thanked him saying he "upheld the ideals of democracy" during his stint as judge in the apex court.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan also thanked Justice Chelameswar for his service in judiciary saying he "did a great job in upholding democracy". "The Bar will always remember him," he added.
Advocate Gopal Shankar Narayan thanked Justice Chelameswar for his grace, particularly towards junior members of the bar and said junior lawyers will always remember him, as Justice Chelameswar rose for the day, folded both his hands and said: "It's my only response".
It is a custom and practice of the Supreme Court that on his last working day, a retiring judge shares bench with the Chief Justice in Courtroom number one.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Misra, Justice Chelameswar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Friday sat for approximately 15 minutes, as only 11 matters were listed before the bench and out of which 10 were transfer petitions related to matrimonial disputes.
During the course of the hearing of cases, the court was full with lawyers, but Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President, Vice President were not present there.
Justice Chelameswar had turned down the SCBA's request to participate in a farewell function it wanted to arrange for him, saying he wanted his retirement to be a "private affair".
The 65-year-old judge -- is one of the four top court judges who held the unprecedented press conference in January saying "all was not well" on the administrative side of the Supreme Court.
Justice Chelameswar will retire on June 22 but his last working day was on Friday, since the court goes on summer vacation after that.
On Thursday, on the eve of his last working day as Justice Chelameswar was sitting in courtroom No 2, senior advocate and former Union Law Minister Shanti Bhushan and senior advocate Dushyant Dave praised his "courage, judicial approach and uprightness".
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Sanju Samson ton guides India to 61-run win over South Africa
Durban, Nov 8: Sanju Samson scored a scintillating century as India inflicted a 61-run defeat on South Africa in the first T20I here on Friday.
Invited to bat, Samson blazed away to 107 off 50 balls, hitting as many as 10 sixes and seven fours to help India post 202 for 8.
The spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy (3/25) and Ravi Bishnoi (3/28) then shared six wickets between them to bowl out South Africa for 141 in 17.5 overs.
Earlier, Samson became the first Indian to score back-to-back centuries in T20Is.
The opener notched his second T20I hundred off just 47 balls. His first had come in India's last outing against Bangladesh last month.
However, South Africa clawed their way back into the game as they stemmed the flow of runs by picking wickets in the last five overs.
Pacer Gerald Coetzee who claimed three wickets was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts.
Brief Scores:
India: 202 for 8 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 107, Tilak Verma 33; Gerald Coetzee 3/37)
South Africa: 141 all out in 17.5 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 25; Varun Chakaravarthy 3/25, Ravi Bishnoi 3/28)
