Second senior most judge of Supreme Court Justice AM Khanwilkar retired and thanked Bar association.

PANASAM AKSHARA | SC News

Justice AM Khanwilkar, the second senior most judge of Supreme Court of India retired and thanked bar association leaders for their love and affection.He said,'As parting words I will only say thank you to all for the love and affection.Thank you so much.God bless you'He was sitting with CJI NV Ramana and two other judges at time of rising of ceremonial bench.Justice Khanwilkar who elevated apex court judge on 13 May,2016 delivered several path-breaking judgements and was part of benches which rendered many important verdicts during his over 5year long tenure.Supreme Court Bar Association president and senior advocate Vikas Singh recalled his association with Justice Khanwilkar as apex court lawyer and judge of the high court and the Supreme Court.Singh said,'It is always difficult for us when a judge retires,It is more difficult when a judge who has been part of us retires.He has been there as colleague of ours.As members of this Bar,we used to share our chambers in same corridor in Supreme Court.We saw him rise to become a High Court judge then come back here as the Supreme Court judge'.Terming Justice Khanwilkar as workaholic,the SCBA president said Bar feels that age of 65years is very young for SC judge to retire and 70 should definitely be there.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared by virtual mode due to coronavirus infection ,said the Attorney General is down with COVID-19 and he would be expressing the views on Justice Khanwilkar.The law officer said,'We will miss Justice Khanwilkar.We miss the smile on his face.Everyone will agree with me that even while dismissing a petition,he would do this with a smile on his face and we never left the courtroom with bitterness'.Senior advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi were also present in the occasion.The SCBA would hold a function in the evening to formally bid farewell to Justice Khanwilkar.He heard path-breaking verdicts including Aadhaar Case and one upholding SIT's clean chit to then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and 63 others in 2002 riots.He also penned the verdict upholding ED's power to arrest,attach property,search and seize under Prevention of Money Laundering Act and was part of several constitution benches of apex court which delivered important judgements.He was born on 30 July,1957 in Pune and studied LLB from college in Mumbai.He was enrolled as advocate in February 1982 and later appointed as additional judge of Bombay High Court on 29 March,2000.He was appointed CJ of High Court of Himachal Pradesh on 4 April,2013 and later the CJ of MP High Court on 24 November,2013.Justice Khanwilkar was elevated as Judge of SC and he assume charge on 13 May,2016.