Justice GT Nanavati, Former Judge Of Supreme Court Who Headed Inquiry Commissions For 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots And 2002 Gujarat Riots Passes Away

Former Supreme Court judge Justice GT Nanavati passed away at the age of 86 years on Saturday morning due to cardiac arrest. He was the Chairman of the 1984-Anti Sikh Riots Inquiry Commission and Chairman of the Justice Nanavati and Shah Inquiry Commission which probed the 2002 Gujarat riots.

He succumbed to cardiac arrest on Saturday morning at his home. His two sons Maulik and Dhaval are lawyers and practice at the Gujarat High Court.  

He was born on February 17, 1935 and enrolled as Advocate in the Bombay High Court on February 11, 1958. He shifted to Ahmedabad after bifurcation of Gujarat from Bombay state. He was appointed as the permanent Judge in the Gujarat High Court from July 19, 1979. He then transferred to Orissa High Court on December 14, 1993 and was later elevated as Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court.

He then transferred as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court from September 28, 1994 and was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court of India on March 6, 1995 and retired on February 16, 2000.

After his retirement, he headed two inquiry commissions into the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots in the year 2002 and he was appointed as Chairman of the Nanavaty and Shah inquiry Commission for probing 2002 Gujarat communal riots in 2002.

His funeral has been scheduled at 5 PM today at Thaltej Crematorium at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.