Law college to felicitate five High Court judges, all its former students, in Belagavi tomorrow

Belagavi-based Karnatak Law Society’s Raja Lakhamgouda Law College, one of the oldest law colleges in the country, has a unique reason to cheer.

As many as five of the sitting judges of the High Court of Karnataka are former students of the college. The college, which was started in 1939, will felicitate these judges at a ceremony in Belagavi on Saturday.

“Chief Justice of the High Court Prasanna B. Varale will felicitate the judges on the college campus near Rani Parvati Devi Circle in south Belagavi at 4.30 p.m. Mr. Varale will also address members of the Belagavi Bar Association and the college students. He will felicitate High Court judges Sachin Shankar Magadum, Ravi Venkappa Hosmani, K.S. Hemalekha, Anil Bheemsen Katti and Ramachandra D. Huddar,” chairman of the Governing Council of the college M.R. Kulkarni told journalists in Belagavi on Thursday.

Mr. Kulkarni said that the college will start B.Com LL.B, a five-year degree course, from the next year. “We also hope to increase intake by starting other courses, including post-graduate courses, in the later years,” he said.

IMER chairman and member of the college R.S. Mutalik said that the college is named after philanthropist Raja Lakhamgouda Sirdesai, mentor-donor and head of the erstwhile princely State of Vantamuri.

“College alumni include two former Chief Justices of India, E.S. Venkataramiah and S. Rajendra Babu and several sitting and former judges of various High Courts, including V.S. Malimath and S.R. Bannurmath. K.K. Venugopal, former Attorney-General of India, is also a former student,” he said.

“Karnatak Law Society president Anant Mandgi and others will be present at Saturday’s event,” he added.

Karnatak Law Society secretary S.V. Ganachari said that several parliamentarians and other leaders in public life are from the college. They include the former Union Ministers B.N. Datar, B. Shankaranand, Sarojini Mahishi and Suresh Angadi and the former Chief Ministers late S.R. Bommai and J. H. Patel and leader D.B. Chandregowda and others. Lawyer and veteran actor Charu Haasan and athlete Arjun Devaiah also studied in the college.

Principal A.H. Hawaldar said that the college students have regularly topped the examinations conducted by Karnatak University Dharwad and Karnataka State Law University, Hubballi. It has produced several sportspersons of national repute, he said.

Professors Samina N. Baig and Manjunath Kale and others were present