New Delhi: Eminent criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Sunday died at the age of 95 after suffering from prolonged illness.
Jethmalani, a former Union law minister passed away early this morning after his health deteriorated over the last two weeks. He was bedridden for a week and had lost a lot of weight.
Jethmalani, one of the most respected lawyers in the country, had fought many high-profile cases, including the famous KM Nanavati vs State of Maharashtra case in which he was the prosecutor.
Jethmalani also defended Rajiv Gandhi’s killer in Madras High Cout in 2001 and Harshad Mehta and Ketan Parekh in the Securities scam of 1992. He had also defended the death sentence given to Afzal Guru and represented Manu Sharma in the Jessica Lall murder case.
Jethmalani was elected as a BJP MP in the sixth and seventh Lok Sabha.
Apart from Union law minister, he also held the portfolio of urban development in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government.
Jethmalani’s demise is a great loss for the legal fraternity in the country.