Agartala, Mar 09, 2025, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Agartala, Mar 09. National Law University Tripura on Sunday hosted the first edition of Shri Apanshu Mohan Lodh memorial public lecture at Tripura Judicial Academy auditorium as a part of the endowment created by Justice Arindam Lodh and Tripura Times.

Justice Deepak Gupta, Former Chief Justice of Tripura High Court and retired Supreme Court Judge Justice Deepak Gupta was present as the keynote speaker on the illustrious topic of “Rule of Law and Role of the High Courts”.

Addressing the auditorium packed with former judges of the High Court, Judicial officers, senior lawyers and students of the National Law University and other institutions, Justice Gupta spoke at length on the origins of “Rule of Law” as one of the essential concepts of jurisprudence to its significance in the present context.

Describing the High Courts as the guardians of people’s rights, Justice Gupta said, “The courts have wide powers. It can set aside rules. It can pass directions for getting things done. In a broader sense, the courts are the guardians of people’s rights.”

Emphasizing the rule of judiciary in enforcing Rule of Law, he said, “The courts should not only focus on deciding disputes but ensure that the rights of people are not taken away. This is an obligation on the high courts. People from all walks of life worship the judiciary and it is the duty of the courts to ensure that it keeps sending blood and oxygen to the rule of law.”

Suggesting the judges to rise above the social and political biases, Justice Gupta said, “For 99 percent of the people of a state like Tripura, High Court is the highest level judiciary. Because, the majority of the people will not be able to move the Supreme Court. When I was the Chief Justice of Tripura High Court, I always kept this point in mind. The judges should always rise above biases. Before someone becomes a judge, an individual has the right to have some political leaning. But, once he or she takes over the responsibility of a judge, all sorts of biases such as political, social, religious etc. must go away forever. The only holy book which needs to be followed is the constitution of India. For a judge, the constitution of India is equivalent to the Gita, Bible, Quran, Guru Granth Sahib  or any other sacred book.”

Stating that the role of District Judiciary is also equally important, Justice Gupta explained, “The rule of law is applicable everywhere. I personally believe that 99 percent of the people haven’t seen the face of the High Court in their lifetime. For them District Judiciary is the definition of court. When someone is sent to police remand or judicial remand, it has to be noted that the person’s civil liberty is being taken away and when he is being granted bail, the liberties and rights are being upheld. The principles like fairness, equality, social and political justice even if not written are embedded in the basic structure of the constitution.”

Recalling his stint as Chief Justice of Tripura High court, he said, “When I assumed charge in Tripura, there were around 6,700 odd pending cases in the court and when I left the number were around 2,000 cases. Today, I hear about a competitive spirit on how many cases are disposed of. For me the real question should be did people get justice or not? Because people come to court because they are in trouble.”

He also recounted the PILs he had taken up and said, “I have heard multiple PILs as I felt Public Interest Litigation is very important for the people of Tripura and through these litigation they got exactly what they deserved.”

He also recognized the contribution of late Apanshu Mohan Lodh, the founder of Tripura Times. He said, “My tryst with Tripura couldn’t have started had Mr Lodh had fought for separate High Court of Tripura. He was like a father figure for the entire judiciary of the state. He always encouraged us. I had also participated in his funeral.”  

A documentary film on Apanshu Mohan Lodh was shown on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice Arindam Lodh said, “The first Apanshu Mohan Lodh memorial lecture dedicated to my beloved father will forever be remembered as a landmark in the history of academia and judicial system of the state of Tripura” Extending sincere thanks to Justice Gupta for attending the event as a principal speaker, Justice Lodh said, “We had the privilege of observing justice Gupta’s inspiring leadership since the day he assumed the charge of this High Court. His lordship has a deep affection for the High Court and the people of Tripura.”

At the end of the lecture, a short question answer-session was held where Justice Lodh replied to the questions on various topics. On a query related to the corruption in judiciary, Justice Gupta said, “We have to take steps to eradicate corruption from every sphere of the society but in my view Tripura is one of the least corrupt states in the whole country. It is quite often discussed that even the PWD (Public Works Department) is not corrupt in Tripura.”