Further Diary Entries - Moving Ahead in Lateral Time

05.08.1976 (Thursday) - Matters were over by 4.00 pm. At 4.15 pm, Mr. Sikka handed over a thick Tentative Cause List with the covering paper giving item numbers to Mr. V.J. Francis. Mr. Francis asked me to accompany him to the Court. I had a question mark on my face. He told me that it was a Thursday, on which the Cause List for the next week was settled in the Chief Justice Court by Mr. C.M. Oberoi, the Asst. Registrar and that was the first place apart from mentioning in court, where an new Advocate learns to address the Court. The Chief Justice Court was packed by Advocate on Records, all having cause list with numbers written on the first page, in their hand.

      Matters were called one after another. The Advocates were insisting on matters not being listed, particularly where notices had been issued and stay had been granted and the other side insisted that matter must be listed for the stay was operating against their clients. One of the interesting grounds was ‘material instructions not received’, which was a great humor issue. The environment was very cordial and very dignified, everybody knew everybody and the Asst. Registrar had continued to insist that the matters should be listed in the next week, for he had little matters for the court. Mr. V.J. Francis told me to speak out two dates in the next week, when the matter should be listed and Mr. C.M. Oberoi looked at me, for that was a new voice coming for Ramamurthy & Co. and accepted it willingly. Mr. Francis himself submitted the cases where the matter had not be listed or to be listed weeks thereafter. The matters which had to be listed after the next week were shown in the tentative list for that week and were confirmed again before they were listed.  Since the dates were already known well in advance to the advocates, as the clients had to come from all over the country, it was good reason for not giving the name of the Advocates on Records on the cause list. Ramamurthy & Co. had a great repute for it appeared for employees and labour supported by trade unions. R.K. Garg had a flair and command in his presentations and arguments, he was a member of Communist Party of India (CPI) and was known for his strong nationalist socialist philosophy. Ramamurthy and Co. had a lot of criminal and service matters from Bihar, UP, Rajasthan and South and also Civil litigation.

     06.08.1976 (Friday) - Around 5 pm, Mr.R.K.Garg came into the 20 A Lawyers Chambers along with another advocate and a two other persons behind him, who looked like leaders (Office Bearers of P & T Trade Unions) and told Mr. S.C. Agrawal “ OK, let’s go” and looking at me said “You also come”. Mr. Agrawal got up and we all went outside. Mr. Agrawal took the driver seat of a white Fiat, Mr. Garg sat next to him and four of us got squeezed in the back seat and we all drove to a market place very close to Supreme Court called the Bengali Market. On the way I saw Triveni Art Gallery on the right of the road after a big round about. I had enjoyed painting since my early childhood and had done several of them in dot painting, pencil, batik, oil. Everybody was in a relaxed mood, it was a Friday evening, we all ate samosa and chola bhatura and went back to the chamber. After sometime everybody left including Mr. Sikka. No work on Friday evening or Friday evening was the only non-working evening for Advocates, rest was all working days and working evenings, it was all about law, law and law. I was enjoying every moment of my life in Supreme Court.

     Since I had nothing particular to do or go, I made a call to my grandfather and mother and told her that I was fine. I then made a few calls to my relatives in Delhi and informed them that I was in Delhi. They asked me if I could come and have dinner with them, to which I readily agreed, asked them about the bus number which I could take to reach their closest bus stand and fixed up my evening meeting for the next and the next Friday.

     07.08.1976 (Saturday) - Had conference meeting in the chamber of Mr. R.K.Garg. There were two more Advocates present there. After Mr. S.C.Agrawal left, Mr. R.K.Garg introduced me to them. One was Mr. R.K. Jain form U.P. and other was Mr. R.P.Singh from Bihar who had joined Mr. D.P.Singh.

    10.08.1976 - Ramamurti and Co. is an amazing place and a citadel of the Marxist or Communist or Leftist thinking, of which I have no knowledge or idea at all, seems to do something with politics, will learn it all over the years. Mr. Francis told me that Mr.V.K. Krishna Menon who was the Defence Minister in Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru’s Cabinet and Mr. Mohan Kumarmanglam who was Home Minister in Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet and Syed Mehmood were the original Seniors who were briefed by Mr. M.K.Ramamuti, Mr. D.P.Singh. Mr. R.K.Garg and Mr. S.C.Agrawal and Ramamurti & Co was formed and were allotted 20 A, 25 and 26 Chamber.  After the death of Mr. Mohan Kumarmanglam in a plane crash in 1969, there was a split in the Law Firm where Mr. M.K.Ramamurti retained 25 Lawyers Chambers with Ms. Shyamla Pappu and Chamber No. 20 A, which was infact a canteen and the largest amongst the chambers and 26 were retained by Mr. D.P.Singh, Mr. R.K. Garg and Mr. S.C.Agrawal. After Mr. D.P. Singh was designated as a senior Advocate, Ramamurthy & Co, had two partners, Mr. R.K. Garg and Mr. S.C. Agarwal.

    There was no restrain on any advocate to continue to keep his files and continue meetings with his client in 20 A Lawyers Chambers. There has been a huge lot of advocates who had been associated with Ramamurthy & Co. Other Advocates who were using the chamber regularly were Mr. Naryan Netter, Advocate on Record for the State of Karnataka and a very fine gentlemen to the core. Mr. Narayan Nettar was a class fellow of Mr. S.C.Agrawal in London, when they were doing their Bar at Law there in 1956-58.  His wife was a lecturer of English in Kamla Nehru, College. Mr.P.D. Sharma, Advocate was another advocate who was occupying the chamber regularly, a simple human being, who kept to himself. A smile and a hand shake every time we met.

   13.08.1976 - Justice M.L. Jain, a judge in the High Court of Delhi, a very close friend of my father , was transferred from High Court of Rajasthan, because of his differences with another Senior Judge in the High Court. Justice M.L.Jain informed me to come to Ashoka Hotel and meet Mr. Shrikrishanmal Modi, a Member of Parliament from Neem ka Thana, Rajasthan. At the meeting Mr. Modi told me that he had a M.P. flat at 60, South Avenue, with a Barsati Floor and that I can stay there.

   15.08.1976 - I reached 60, South Avenue, with all my belongings, an attaché and a bedding. Mr. Shrikrishanmal Modi had left instructions for me and I went up to the Barsati Floor. It was a one room apartment with an attached washroom and a terrace in front. There was greenery all around, an MP Canteen right in front and a very calm and wonderful environment. I felt extremely comfortable, for there was lot of peace, fresh air and freedom.

   16.08.1976 - Setting into routine -Got up in the morning at 5.30 am as usual. Went for a jog around 6 am. Came back went through my yoga exercises, did my pranayama and meditation to which I was introduced 2 years ago by a yogi whom I never met again, took bath and was ready around 8.00 am. Went to the MPs canteen, took my breakfast, two boiled eggs, four slices of bread and a glass of milk. Took a bus to Krishi Bhawan, changed the bus and got down at Tilak Bridge and walked to Supreme Court.  In the chamber between 9.00 to 9.15 am. Read the law reports, starting making notes, read some briefs, had my lunch in the canteen, continued to be in the chamber till around 9 pm, walked down to Tilak Bridge, took a bus back to South Avenue. Went straight to the Canteen, took my dinner, four tandoori chapatti, half plate aloo matter and half plate gobhi and in my room by 10 – 10.15 pm.  Read some books. I never subscribed and never felt the necessity of Newspaper. Washed my clothes twice a week after coming back, upto about 12.30 -1 pm and met my relatives on Friday evenings. Sometimes called my grandfather and mother in the late evening before I left the chamber. This was a routine I continued to and follow every day.

   03.09.1976 - Today I got my enrollment as the Advocate from the Bar Council of Delhi and can now wear a white band, a black coat and a gown and can regularly appear in the court along with Mr. Francis and my seniors. My grandfather had completed his LL.B in 1926 and  retired as the first Registrar of High Court of Rajasthan on 31.03.1951 on his attaining the age of 58 yrs. from Jodhpur. My father had completed his LL.B in 1946 but joined the bar in 1950 since he was the prcharak for south delhi during that period. However, since warrants were issued against all RSS personnel after Gandhi murder in February 1948, my grandfather insisted him to join the profession. My father had started practicing law with Mr. C.L. Agarwal at Jaipur. In 1958, my father had along with our family shifted to Jodhpur, after abolition of the Jaipur Bench of the High Court of Rajasthan. He was associated with R.K.Rastogi and had started independent practice thereafter till he was elevated as a judge of Rajasthan High Court in 1973.

   Since my father was a sitting judge of High Court of Rajasthan and was likely to remain till 1986, he felt that my presence in Rajasthan would not be conducive in his, my and the institution’s interest. I, therefore, did not apply for my enrollment as an Advocate with the Bar Council of Rajasthan, but applied it to the Bar Council of Delhi. My name was proposed by Mr. S.C.Agarwal and for the second recommendation Mr. S.C.Agrawal requested Mr. S.K. Mehta, Advocate whose chamber number was 43 and he had willingly and happily accepted aswe walked to his chamber.

   20.09.1976 - We had item No. 1 in the Chief Justices Court and I was sitting next to my senior Mr. S.C.Agrawal. Mrs. Sunanda Bhandare, from Bombay, an advocate on record and daughter of Mr. H.R.Gokhale, Union Law Minister, Government of India mentioned a matter which was on the cause list of the next day, for not to be taken as she was not in town. The A.N.Ray, Chief Justice said that she must get it mentioned on the next day, to which she said that she would not be there the next day and, therefore, it would not be possible for her to mention it the next day.  Chief Justice A.N. Ray then said “Then, let some young advocate mention the matter tomorrow” and looked around. As he looked around his eyes suddenly stopped at me who was sitting in the front row, next to Mr. S.C. Agrawal, and he said “You, young man, mention the matter tomorrow”. It was a pleasant surprise for me, but I thought may be that is the way the Supreme Court functions and encourages juniors. I instantaneously got up and uttered “Yes, My Lordships” and realised all eyes were fixed on me particularly, Ms. Sunanda Bhandare.

There were other mentioning by other advocates and Mr. S.C. Agrawal asked me if I knew Chief Justice A.N. Ray and I said of course not. After our matter was over and as I came out of the Court, I saw Mrs. Sunanda Bhandare and her junior associate Mr. Ajit Sharma, waiting for me. It was the same question again “How Chief Justice A.N.Ray, know you” and “Who are you”. I told them that I did not know Chief Justice A.N. Ray and that I had shifted to Delhi and Supreme Court, because my father was a judge in High Court of Rajasthan and perhaps the only other advocate I knew out of Rajasthan was Mr. S.C.Agrawal and that I will mention the matter tomorrow and that they may give me the brief, so that I can at least read what is there in.

21.09.1976 – My First appearance before court - I reached the Chief Justice Court at about 10.25, Mr. Ajit Sharma, Advocate was there. I said I was ready, he smiled at me. I was the first in the row of mentioning and told the Chief Justice that the matter was mentioned yesterday and their Lordships had requested me to mention the matter for adjournment. He simply said “Adjourned for two weeks” and I walked back and handed over the brief to Mr. Ajit Sharma. He had put in one year, his father had worked with H.R.Gokhale and he had joined the chamber of  Mr. M.C.Bhandare and Mrs. Sunanda Bhandare. Mr. H.R.Gokhale had two daughters, the elder one was married to Dr. Y.S.Chitale, Senior Advocate and the younger was married to Mr. M.C.Bhandare.