New Delhi:
Supreme Court Justice Justice Abhay Oka told some lawyers some time before his farewell ceremony on Wednesday, “I could not give my mother time for many years, now I will stay with him for some time.” At that time he did not know, at that time, his mother Vasanti Oka, was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai, she was breathing her last.
By evening, Justice Oka received the news. He informed the Chief Justice of India, Brah and fellow judges and left for Mumbai. This afternoon, he performed his mother’s funeral in Thane.
In the case of death in the immediate family, rituals run for days. But Justice Oka had another major responsibility – to give decisions on matters that he has heard and reserved. These were to be held on Thursday.
Top sources said that Justice Oka had decided to come to court on Friday to listen to the verdicts and cases. Friday, May 24 is his last working day.
According to a Supreme Court judge, Justice Oka has a strong commitment to the institution.
Last Sunday, he went to attend a function held in Mumbai in honor of Justice Gawai. That was when he met his mother for the last time.
The Supreme Court President, Vipin Nair, at the Record Association, who conducted the farewell ceremony of Justice Oka, said: “Judges like Justice Oka once come in a generation. Like his first name” Abhay “, he is an avatar of fearlessness, courage, error, character and infallible integrity.
He said, “Despite facing a great personal loss tomorrow, Justice Oka will return to the Supreme Court tonight and beautify the bench last time. We are lucky that this nation has shared time with one of the greatest judges ever produced.”
Justice Oka started his practice in his father’s chambers in Thane district court. He was promoted as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court in August 2003 and was made a permanent judge in November 2005.
In May 2019, he was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court and was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court in August 2021.
