Vettath Balakrishnan Eradi , former Judge of Supreme Court, who had also played alead role in several spiritual, cultural and social organizations, died at a private hospital here early this morning. He was 88. Mr. Eradi, who had also served as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court and as president of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, was ailing for some time. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.
Born on June 19, 1922, Balakrishnan Eradi had his early education at the Zamorin’s High School, in Kozhikode. Later he joined the Madras Christian College, Madras from where he graduated in 1941 with distinction and first rank in Sanskrit. Eradi then studied in Madras Law College and took his law degree as the topper in Madras Presidency.
He then enrolled as an advocate in Madras High Court as Junior to K. Kuttikrishna Menon, a leading lawyer of his time but after the re - organisation of States in November, 1956 shifted his practice to Ernakulam when the new High Court of Kerala was established.
He was soon appointed Senior Government Pleader in the High Court of Kerala ; in 1967 Balakrishnan Eradi was was elevated as Judge of the Kerala High Court. He became Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala on January 19, 1980 and was elevated to the Bench of the Supreme Court in January, 1981.
He also held several other important posts . While functioning as Judge of the Supreme Court, he was appointed by Government of India as Chairman of the Ravi and Beas Waters Tribunal for adjudication of the dispute regarding sharing of the Punjab River waters between States of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Eradi retired from Supreme Court in 1987 but a year later took over as President of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, a post he held till 1997.
He was a single Member Enquiry Commission for conducting a Fact Finding Enquiry into certain untoward incidents which took place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 21 , 1990 during the swearing -in ceremony of the members of the Union Ministry headed by Mr K Chandrasekhar.
Balakrishnan Eradi was also actively associated with a number of leading spiritual, cultural and social service organizations and was President of International Centre for Kathakali, Delhi , President of ‘Swaralaya’ music society and a member of the Council of Management of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust since its inception in 1972 .
The National Press of India Golden Jubilee Award, Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award, the Shiromani Award and the National Citizenship Award were among the honours he won during his long and eventful career.
