New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Bobde paid glowing accolades to Justice Mishra by referring to him as a “Beacon of life, courage and fortitude in the face of adversity”. He said Justice Mishra had bravely fought many difficult situations, both as Judge and in his personal life with many health issues, said CJI.

    Justice Arun Mishra retires from Supreme Court, as per tradition, he shared the dias with the CJI S.A. Bobde on Wednesday after tiring few months of writing voluminous Judgements on weighty issues. Evoking controversies in the bar and solving many a problem for judges characterized his over six year tenure in the Supreme Court but Justice Arun Mishra’s wish for quiet send-off on his last day as SC Judge was belied by Attorney General K.K. Venugopal and Bar Association President Dushyant Dave.

   Arun Mishra’s weighty Judgements are daughters having equal coparcenary right in ancestral property, Amrapali’s case, pushing Advocate Prasanth Bhushan for contempt and settleling complex payment issues relating to AGR dues of telecom companies. Ironically, this was the first time and last time Justice Mishra and Justice Bobde were on the same bench. As soon as the bench finished its judicial business, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta wished Justice Mishra a happy retire life.

   But Venugopal began from where he left his arrangements in the Bhushan case. “I would have been happy if no punishment was given. But the judgement of the bench headed by Justice Mishra elaborately laid down the law on contempt of Court and it would be debated for a long time”, said the AG. When his turn to speak came last, Justice Mishra sought pardon from all advocates if he had hurt them in any manner. He said his judgments were always dictated by his conscience.   

“I have always tried to do what is correct and best. I have not decided a single case keeping conscience locked up. You can criticize my judgments but do not attribute a motive”, he said. He had just begun to rest to respond to the AG on the Bhushan Judgement when CJI Bobde stopped him by saying “Zyada mat bolo ab (Don’t get into in now)”.

The AG said that he had excellent personal relations with this “Extremely hardworking Judge” who was firm and unshakable, deserving the epithet “Iron Judge”. Dave was seen on the screen during the virtual farewell but could not be heard. He later complained that he was deliberately muted in the video conferencing by the Registry.