Former Union law minister and eminent jurist Shanti Bhushan, who represented politician Raj Narain in the historic case that led to the annulment of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s election in 1975, passed away in New Delhi on January 31. He was 97.

Raj Narain vs Indira Nehru Gandhi case

• In the historic Raj Narain vs Indira Nehru Gandhi case, the Allahabad High Court in June 1975 had disqualified Indira Gandhi for a period of six years from contesting elections.

• Freedom fighter and politician Raj Narain, who had unsuccessfully contested the 1971 Lok Sabha elections from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh against Indira Gandhi, had in his plea accused her of corrupt electoral practices.

• Indira Gandhi had moved the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict. It triggered a series of events culminating into the imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975.

A lawyer-turned-politician 

• Bhushan, who was a senior advocate, served as the law minister from 1977 to 1979 in the Morarji Desai cabinet.

• Bhushan, whose sons Jayant and Prashant Bhushan are leading lawyers, was active in the legal profession till recently and had argued on a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the Rafale fighter jets deal.

• Shanti Bhushan had filed a plea in the apex court, challenging the roster practice of allocation of cases by the Chief Justice of India. In its verdict on his plea, the top court had in July 2018 maintained that the Chief Justice of India is “the master of the roster” and has the prerogative and authority to allocate cases to different benches of the apex court.

• In his political career, he was a member of the Congress (O) and later of the Janata Party. He served as a Rajya Sabha member too. He also had a six-year stint with the BJP.

• Bhushan was among the founding members of the Aam Aadmi Party which was formed in 2012, which he later quit. He had also actively participated in the agitation led by social activist Anna Hazare.

• He has written books titled ‘Courting Destiny’ and ‘My Second Innings’.

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