Justice Tarun Agarwal; A Judge for the Bar.

 

Justice Tarun Agarwal remained for a brief period in the High Court of Uttarakhand from 2009 to 2012.   

 

Rarely we see someone, who goes to the high podium and also does not forget that once he belonged to the Bar. Justice Tarun Agarwal was one such rare judge.

 

Justice Agarwal, although sat on the high chair but cared highest for the bar and its members. I saw that intellectual giant in my very initial years of practice and found him a lively, fearless and warm-hearted judge. 

 

Giving relief was the rule of his court and dismissal only a rare exception.

 

Older members of the bar shall remember several instances of his dynamic personality. One we saw it when there was a strike from the bar against the rude behavior of the then chief justice in court. Justice Tarun Agarwal was senior most judge in the court and as soon as he came to know about the strike of lawyers, he himself invited Bar leaders and senior advocates to discuss the matter. He immediately not only talked to the Chief Justice but also advocated for the Bar. Only due to his high regard and respect, Bar ended the strike.

 

Only due to the meticulous organizational capacity of that beloved judge of the Bar, High Court of Uttarakhand had its grandest celebration for the decennial anniversary. The scale of grandeur which we could achieve due to his leadership is yet to be seen again in this court.

Although more than a decade has passed but I remember it like yesterday, in the Court no-1, I heard an elegant and graceful voice of a Judge saying to me; Yes, you young man, stand up, Will you become court commissioner in this matter? I was too young to give any confirm reply however with in no time Justice Tarun Agarwal passed the order appointing me the court commissioner to inspect a school in the remote hills of Kumaon. 

Justice Tarun Agarwal was fear of 'the executive' and check of 'the legislature'. 

This Court lost a fearless, giant watchguard of Justice.