Former Chief Justice of India R.C. Lahoti dies at 81

He rose from a humble background and reached highest position of judiciary, says Law Minister

Former Chief Justice of India, Justice R. C. Lahoti. File | Photo Credit: Mohammed Yousuf

Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ramesh Chandra Lahoti died at a hospital in New Delhi on Wednesday, family sources said. He was 81.

Justice Lahoti was appointed the 35th CJI on June 1, 2004. He retired on November 1, 2005. He was a former independent director on the Board of directors of the Press Trust of India.

He was appointed as an arbitrator by the Government of India in the ₹20,000-crore high-profile tax dispute case with telecom major Vodafone.

Born on November 1, 1940, he joined the Bar in Guna district in 1960 and enrolled as an advocate in 1962. He was recruited directly to the Bench in April 1977, from the Bar to the State Higher Judicial Service and was appointed as a district and sessions judge. After serving in the post for a year, Justice Lahoti resigned in May 1978 and returned to the Bar to practice mainly in the High Court. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 3, 1988, and made a permanent judge on August 4 the next year.

He was transferred to the Delhi High Court on February 7, 1994, and later appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court on December 9, 1998.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has condoled the death of Justice Lahoti.

"Saddened to hear the passing away of Shri RC Lahoti, former Chief Justice of India. He rose from a humble background and reached the highest position of our country's judiciary because of his ability, knowledge and wisdom," he tweeted.