Noted lawyer of Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court, Samaraditya Pal died at a hospital here on Thursday morning. He was 84.
He is survived by his wife Justice Ruma Pal (retired), a former judge of the Calcutta High Court.
Besides practicing at the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court, Pal — popular as Bacchu Pal in the legal fraternity — had also authored a number of books on law and Indian Constitution like Law Relating to Public Service, The Law of Contempt-Contempt of Courts and Legislatures and India’s Constitution-Origins and Evolution.
He represented Tata Motors Limited in the famous case against the West Bengal government on land acquisition for small car Nano Project at Singur in Hooghly district.
Once he recollected that after his wife became the Judge of Calcutta High Court, he removed his chamber to a different location from the residence they used to reside on moral and professional grounds.
They too avoid attending the same public programme on many instances.
Veterans of the legal fraternity in the city recall how the deceased lawyer was specially caring about his juniors, where he often allowed them to argue matters in extremely important cases.
Expressing his condolences, the West Bengal law minister, Malay Ghatak, who is himself a practicing lawyer said that Late Samaraditya Pal was a moving encyclopedia of law and Indian Constitution in the true sense.