G.T. Nanavati
Encyclopedia
Girish Thakorlal Nanavati (born 1935 in Jambusar
, Gujarat) is a retired judge from the Supreme Court of India
. After his retirement he has headed two commissions inquiring into the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots
and the Godhra riots
.
in Mumbai
. After finishing his education in the arts, he enrolled in the Government Law College in Mumbai
to receive his bachelors and masters degrees in law
.
in the Bombay High Court
in 1958. Circumstances forced him to return to Gujarat from Mumbai when the bifurcation of the Bombay state in 1960 left him a hard choice. His wish to practice at the prestigious Bombay high court went unfulfilled and left for Ahmedabad
.
His practice in Ahmedabad
was very low key. He dealt with a smattering of revenue cases, but his true potential was realized when he began to practice criminal cases
. He received and accepted an offer to become a public prosecutor in 1964, which became a turning point in the young man's career. At that time, high court
judges, not the government
, used to appoint prosecutors. This began a fifteen year stint prosecuting cases before the high court.
He was appointed a permanent judge to the Gujarat High Court
in 1979. 14 years later he was transferred to the high court in Orissa
. A year later, in 1994, he was appointed Chief justice
of the high court of Orissa
. He was transferred again 8 months later to the Karnataka High Court
. In March 1995 he was appointed as a judge to the Supreme Court of India
by the Congress government. Judge Nanavati retired in February 2000.
to probe the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots
. He was the one-man commission aptly named the Nanavati commission
. The commission incriminated UPA
politicians Sajjan Kumar
and Jagdish Tytler
. He has stated that evidence indicated that it was a "lapse on part of the civil administration" not to call the Indian Army
in a timely fashion, "resulting in large-scale rioting and loss of lives".
in 2003 Justice Nanavati stated that evidence recorded till that date had not indicated any 'serious lapses' on the police or the administration of Gujarat during these riots. These comments came before the two-man commission investigating the riots had recorded testimony in Ahmedabad
and Vadodara
.
judge and wanted someone also from outside of Gujarat to ensure total impartiality, the Government had given them only half their desires, appointing a retired Gujarati
judge.
Jambusar
Jambusar is a city and a municipality in Bharuch district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Jambusar is located at . It has an average elevation of 4 metres .-Demographics:...
, Gujarat) is a retired judge from the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
. After his retirement he has headed two commissions inquiring into the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots
1984 anti-Sikh riots
The 1984 Anti-Sikh pogroms / riots or the 1984 Sikh Massacre was a sikh genocide there was four days of violence in northern India, particularly Delhi, during which armed mobs killed Sikhs, looted and set fire to Sikh homes, businesses and schools, and attacked gurdwaras, in response to the...
and the Godhra riots
2002 Gujarat violence/2006 revision
The 2002 Gujarat violence describes the Godhra train burning and resulting communal riots between Hindus and Muslims. On 27 February 2002 at Godhra City in the state of Gujarat, the Sabarmati Express train was attacked by a large Muslim mob in a conspiracy. But some authentic sources deny the claim...
.
Early life
Judge Nanavati is the eldest of twelve children born to a family of professionals. In his family, his father, grandfather and uncle were all lawyers. Judge Nanavati studied at St. Xaviers CollegeSt. Xavier's College, Bombay
St. Xavier's College in Mumbai , India is a Roman Catholic college in the Jesuit tradition. The college is named after Francis Xavier, the 16th century Spanish Jesuit saint. It has been awarded the highest rating A+ in the re-accreditation by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council in...
in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. After finishing his education in the arts, he enrolled in the Government Law College in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
to receive his bachelors and masters degrees in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
.
Career
Mr. G.T. Nanavati enrolled as an advocateAdvocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
in the Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court at Mumbai, Maharashtra, is the High Court of India with jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra & Goa, and, the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli...
in 1958. Circumstances forced him to return to Gujarat from Mumbai when the bifurcation of the Bombay state in 1960 left him a hard choice. His wish to practice at the prestigious Bombay high court went unfulfilled and left for Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
.
His practice in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
was very low key. He dealt with a smattering of revenue cases, but his true potential was realized when he began to practice criminal cases
Legal case
A legal case is a dispute between opposing parties resolved by a court, or by some equivalent legal process. A legal case may be either civil or criminal...
. He received and accepted an offer to become a public prosecutor in 1964, which became a turning point in the young man's career. At that time, high court
High Courts of India
India's unitary judicial system is made up of the Supreme Court of India at the national level, for the entire country and the 21 High Courts at the State level. These courts have jurisdiction over a state, a union territory or a group of states and union territories...
judges, not the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, used to appoint prosecutors. This began a fifteen year stint prosecuting cases before the high court.
He was appointed a permanent judge to the Gujarat High Court
Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court is the High Court of the state of Gujarat. It was established on 1 May 1960 under the Bombay Re-organisation Act, 1960 after the state split from Bombay State.The seat of the court is Ahmedabad...
in 1979. 14 years later he was transferred to the high court in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. A year later, in 1994, he was appointed Chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the high court of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. He was transferred again 8 months later to the Karnataka High Court
Karnataka High Court
The Karnataka High Court is the High Court of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located in Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka. The High Court functions out of a red brick building known as Attara Kacheri...
. In March 1995 he was appointed as a judge to the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
by the Congress government. Judge Nanavati retired in February 2000.
Nanavati Commission
Judge Nanavati was appointed by the NDANational Democratic Alliance (India)
The National Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition of political parties in India. At the time of its formation in 1998, it was led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and had thirteen constituent parties. Its convenor is Sharad Yadav, and its honorary chairman is former prime minister Atal...
to probe the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots
1984 anti-Sikh riots
The 1984 Anti-Sikh pogroms / riots or the 1984 Sikh Massacre was a sikh genocide there was four days of violence in northern India, particularly Delhi, during which armed mobs killed Sikhs, looted and set fire to Sikh homes, businesses and schools, and attacked gurdwaras, in response to the...
. He was the one-man commission aptly named the Nanavati commission
Nanavati commission
The Justice G.T. Nanavati commission was established by the Indian Government in 2000 to investigate the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots.-Creation:The commission was appointed by the National Democratic Alliance government on 8 May 2000 to look into certain matters emanating from the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots....
. The commission incriminated UPA
United Progressive Alliance
The United Progressive Alliance is a ruling coalition of center-left political parties heading the government of India. The coalition is led by the Indian National Congress , which is currently the single largest political party in the Lok Sabha...
politicians Sajjan Kumar
Sajjan Kumar
Sajjan Kumar is an Indian politician belonging to the ruling Indian National Congress party. He was a member of 14th Lok Sabha representing Outer Delhi constituency....
and Jagdish Tytler
Jagdish Tytler
Jagdish Tytler is a controversial Indian National Congress politician, and former member of Indian Parliament...
. He has stated that evidence indicated that it was a "lapse on part of the civil administration" not to call the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
in a timely fashion, "resulting in large-scale rioting and loss of lives".
Response to Godhra Riots
When asked about the 2002 Godhra riots2002 Gujarat violence/2006 revision
The 2002 Gujarat violence describes the Godhra train burning and resulting communal riots between Hindus and Muslims. On 27 February 2002 at Godhra City in the state of Gujarat, the Sabarmati Express train was attacked by a large Muslim mob in a conspiracy. But some authentic sources deny the claim...
in 2003 Justice Nanavati stated that evidence recorded till that date had not indicated any 'serious lapses' on the police or the administration of Gujarat during these riots. These comments came before the two-man commission investigating the riots had recorded testimony in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
and Vadodara
Vadodara
Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...
.
Criticism
His appointment, however, has failed to satisfy the critics, who termed it an "eye-wash" and also stated while those opposing the Shah Commission were demanding appointment of a current Supreme CourtSupreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
judge and wanted someone also from outside of Gujarat to ensure total impartiality, the Government had given them only half their desires, appointing a retired Gujarati
Gujarati people
Gujarati people , or Gujaratis are an ethnic group that is traditionally Gujarati-speaking and can trace their ancestry to the state of Gujarat in western India...
judge.