Justice C T Ravikumar: SC gives farewell to dalit Judge, Justice Ravikumar | India News

File photo: Justice Ravikumar

NEW DELHI: Born in a scheduled caste family in Peermade village in Idukki district of Kerala, C T Ravikumar decided to study law after graduating in zoology leading to a four-decade long career and his becoming a judge of the highest court through sheer hard work, proficiency and ability to win hearts both in the courts and outside.
Justice Ravikumar retires on Jan 5. He sat on a ceremonial farewell bench with CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar on Friday. Attorney general R Venkataramani recited a poem composed in his honour – “Soft in demeanour, sure in speech; Frail in walk, firm in views; Acumen sharp, attentions deep: Gentle looks but questioning eyes; … Mind so open, thoughts all clear: Hiding no riders, equal treatment with lines none drawn.”
CJI Khanna said the poem captured Justice Ravikumar’s personality so completely. “He belongs to God’s own country and is loved by all, bar and bench. He is a noble soul who has won over hearts with his humane qualities. His love for cricket and nature is well known. He comes from a rural background unlike many of us hailing from the cities and towns having access to better facilities. His reaching the highest court as a judge is an achievement in itself,” the CJI said.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said Justice Ravikumar is simplicity personified and never carried the stature of a Judge. SCBA president Kapil Sibal said though the judge was an ardent cricket lover, he never bowled a googly to the lawyers. SCoARA president Vipin Nair, referring to his love for cricket, said his first innings had been spectacular and wished him a fulfilling second innings.
Justice Ravikumar said, “Even after getting appointed as a judge of the HC and then as a Judge of the SC, one thing that never left me is the feeling of being a lawyer. That’s where I belong and that’s why I respect all lawyers.”
“Traditionally, the Indians bat well in the second innings, I wish I will bat well in my second innings (after retirement career),” he said. He started practicing in 1986 in the district courts at Mavelikara. He shifted practice to Kerala HC in 1996 and was appointed a judge of the HC on Jan 5, 2009. He took oath as a judge of the SC on Aug 31, 2021 and had a tenure of little over three years and four months as a SC judge.