V. Ramaswami
Encyclopedia
V. Ramaswami was the Justice of the Supreme Court of India
and the first judge ever against whom impeachment proceedings were initiated in independent
India
. The only other judge to face impeachment proceedings is Justice Sourmitra Sen of Calcutta High Court, proceedings against whom were initiated in Rajya Sabha on 17th August, 2011.
. He was educated in The American College in Madurai
and received a degree in Law from Madras Law College
.
. He was appointed permanent Judge of the Madras High Court from January 31, 1971. He was later transferred and appointed Chief Justice of Punjab
and Haryana
High Court on November 12, 1987. At the height of his career, he was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court on 6 October 1989 from which he retired on 14 February 1994.
and Haryana
. In a serious turn of events, on 1 February 1991, Supreme Court Bar Association passed a resolution calling for his impeachment and requesting Chief justice not assign him any further legal work. Bharatiya Janata Party
and Left parties submitted a notice of motion to the Indian Parliament seeking his removal from office.
Accepting the motion on 12 March 1991, Speaker Rabi Ray
constituted a committee composed of Justice P B Sawant of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice P D Desai of the Bombay High Court and Justice O Chinnappa Reddy, retired judge of the Supreme Court to investigate the affair. The committee found Ramaswami guilty of 11 out of 14 charges.
The impeachment motion was placed in the assembly for debate and voting on 10 May 1993. Of 401 members present in the assemby that day, there were 196 votes for impeachment and no votes against and 205 abstentions by ruling Congress
and its allies. The motion which required not less than two third majority of the total number of members present in both houses of the Parliament and an absolute majority of its total membership thus failed to pass.
constituency as an Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) candidate in 1999 election against Vaiko from Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
. Thamaraikani from ADMK who was expelled from the party contested as an independent. He lost the election to Vaiko by securing 32.21% of the votes. Vaiko received 41.8% and Thamaraikani 4.74% of the votes.
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...
and the first judge ever against whom impeachment proceedings were initiated in independent
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The only other judge to face impeachment proceedings is Justice Sourmitra Sen of Calcutta High Court, proceedings against whom were initiated in Rajya Sabha on 17th August, 2011.
Early life and education
Ramaswami was born on 15 February 1929. He spent his school years in Hindu High School in SrivilliputhurSrivilliputhur
Srivilliputhur is a semi-urban town and a municipality in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu....
. He was educated in The American College in Madurai
The American College in Madurai
The American College, often referred to as American College, is one of the oldest colleges present in India. It is located in Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, south of India. It was founded in 1881 by American Christian missionaries.The college is situated in Madurai, the second largest city in Tamil Nadu...
and received a degree in Law from Madras Law College
Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai
Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai is a law college in Chennai, India that was established in 1891. It was formerly known as Madras Law College and later renamed after Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, an Indian freedom fighter and fighter for rights of untouchables and Dalits.The college was in...
.
Professional career
He began his career by practising both civil and criminal law at the Madras High CourtMadras High Court
The Madras High Court is a senior court located at Chennai , in India. The court buildings, which are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, are located near the beach, in one of the city's major business districts....
. He was appointed permanent Judge of the Madras High Court from January 31, 1971. He was later transferred and appointed Chief Justice of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
High Court on November 12, 1987. At the height of his career, he was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court on 6 October 1989 from which he retired on 14 February 1994.
Impeachment proceedings
A scandal surfaced in the middle of year 1990 when several media outlets reported about his ostentatious expenditure on his official residence during his tenure as a Chief Justice of PunjabPunjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. In a serious turn of events, on 1 February 1991, Supreme Court Bar Association passed a resolution calling for his impeachment and requesting Chief justice not assign him any further legal work. Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
and Left parties submitted a notice of motion to the Indian Parliament seeking his removal from office.
Accepting the motion on 12 March 1991, Speaker Rabi Ray
Rabi Ray
Rabi Ray is an Indian socialist politician, a former speaker of Lok Sabha and a former Union minister of India. He hails from Orissa...
constituted a committee composed of Justice P B Sawant of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice P D Desai of the Bombay High Court and Justice O Chinnappa Reddy, retired judge of the Supreme Court to investigate the affair. The committee found Ramaswami guilty of 11 out of 14 charges.
The impeachment motion was placed in the assembly for debate and voting on 10 May 1993. Of 401 members present in the assemby that day, there were 196 votes for impeachment and no votes against and 205 abstentions by ruling Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and its allies. The motion which required not less than two third majority of the total number of members present in both houses of the Parliament and an absolute majority of its total membership thus failed to pass.
1999 Lok Sabha election
He contested from SivakasiSivakasi
Sivakasi is an active town and a municipality in Virudhunagar District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the capital of India’s firecracker industry with about 8,000 factories, big and small, producing 90 percent of the total fireworks output.It is also known as "kutti japan" meaning "small...
constituency as an Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) candidate in 1999 election against Vaiko from Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a political party in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu formed in 1994 by Mr. V. Gopalswamy , a member of Rajyasabha and a party activitist of DMK. Mr. V. Gopalsamy grew in the party from his student days. He actively participated in the party agitations and...
. Thamaraikani from ADMK who was expelled from the party contested as an independent. He lost the election to Vaiko by securing 32.21% of the votes. Vaiko received 41.8% and Thamaraikani 4.74% of the votes.