L. Nageswara Rao

Lavu Nageswara Rao is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India. He is the seventh person elevated directly from the bar to the Supreme Court and was sworn in on 13 May 2016.^[1] He was a senior advocate and a former Additional Solicitor General of India.

L. Nageswara Rao
Judge of the Supreme Court of India
In office 13 May 2016 – 7 June 2022
Nominated by	T. S. Thakur
Appointed by	Pranab Mukherjee
Additional Solicitor General of India
In office 7 June 2014 – 15 December 2014
Appointed by	Pranab Mukherjee
In office August 2013 – May 2014
Appointed by	Pranab Mukherjee
In office 8 August 2003 – 2004
Appointed by	A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Personal details
Born	Lavu Nageswara Rao (1957-06-08) 8 June 1957 (age 67) Pedanandipadu, Andhra Pradesh, India

Early life

Rao hails from Pedanandipadu in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.^[2] He was educated at Loyola Public School, Guntur,^[3] JKC College, Guntur and at TJPS College, Guntur.^{[citation needed]}

Career

He practiced in Andhra Pradesh High Court before shifting his practice to the Supreme Court of India. He was designated as a senior advocate in 2000.^[4] He was one of the most highly paid lawyers in the country.^[5]

He appeared in Karnataka High Court for J. Jayalalitha in the disproportionate assets case and was successful in reversing the trial court judgement and getting her acquitted.^[6] One of the last cases he argued before the Supreme Court of India was the NEET case^{[clarification needed]} in which he appeared for State of Tamil Nadu and Christian Medical College.^[7]

He was elevated as a judge of Supreme Court of India on 13 May 2016.^{[citation needed]}

He retired on 7 June 2022.^[8]

Law Officer

He served as an additional solicitor general of India three different times. First under NDA government from 8 August 2003^[9] until his resignation in 2004. UPA Government appointed him as A.S.G. in August 2013 and he resigned in May 2014.^[10] His third stint as A.S.G. was from 7 June to 15 December 2014 under the present Government.^{[citation needed]}

Commission of Inquiry

He was also a member of the Supreme Court-appointed Mudgal Committee headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal and comprising senior advocate and former cricket umpire Nilay Dutta as the other member. The committee is tasked with conducting an independent inquiry into allegations of corruption, betting and spot-fixing in Indian Premier League matches.^[11][12]

References

1. "Supreme Court To Get 4 New Judges On Friday". NDTV.com. Indo-Asian News Service. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
2. "Solidity personified". The Hindu. 16 September 2003. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014.
3. Staff Reporter (7 May 2016). "Lavu appointed SC Judge". The Hindu.
4. "Collegium recommends sr csl Nageswara Rao + 3 others for SC judgeship". 4 May 2016.
5. Shrivastava, Prachi (8 September 2015). "How much do Delhi's top advocates charge?". Mint.
6. "L Nageswara Rao recommended for the post of SC judge". 5 May 2016.
7. "Second time, it's a yes! L Nageswara Rao's change of mind". 4 May 2016.
8. Karpuram, Ajoy (8 June 2022). "Justice L. Nageswara Rao's Tenure in Numbers". Supreme Court Observer. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
9. "New Additional Solicitor-General for SC". The Hindu. 9 August 2003. Archived from the original on 31 January 2015.
10. Pathak, Gaurav (15 December 2014). "L Nageswara Rao resigns as ASG, submits resignation to Union Law Minister". www.livelaw.in.
11. Spot fixing: Mudgal panel examines three Indian players Archived 26 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
12. "Supreme Court asks Mudgal committee to complete probe within two months". The Indian Express. Press Trust of India. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2024.