Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana Friday paid homage to three former high court judges and eminent lawyers, Bhimrao N Naik, Nagendra Rai and Prabhat Chandra Agarwal, saying they made "rich contribution" to the profession and their demise caused a great loss for the entire legal community.
Naik, born on January 23, 1940, was elevated to the Bombay High Court of Bombay on November 9, 1992 and later resigned to join back the legal practice.
He died on September 16, 2019 aged 79. He is survived by his wife, Uma Naik, two sons and their families.
Rai, born on January 31, 1944, was elevated as a permanent judge of the Patna High Court on July 10, 1990 and practiced law in the apex court after retirement in 2006.
The former acting Chief Justice of Patna High Court died on January 25 last year and is survived by his daughter, Alka Ranjan, son-in-law Rajiv Ranjan and daughter-in-law Shefali Kumari and their families.
Agarwa had joined the Judicial Service in 1964 and later became a high court judge of Madhya Pradesh in 2001 and after retirement, practiced as an Advocate in the Supreme Court.
He breathed his last aged 77 on February 10, 2020 leaving behind his wife, Raj Agarwal, son Amitabh Agarwal, daughter Anuranjita Gupta and their families.
“My Brother and Sister Judges join me in conveying our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of Shri Bhimrao Naik, Nagendra Rai and P.C. Agarwal. We pray to the almighty to give them the strength to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude,” the CJI said and referred to the contributions made by the former judges and lawyers to the legal field.
Attorney General K K Venugopal and Supreme Court Bar Association President Vikas Singh also addressed the full court reference held in a hybrid mode here.
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