Chief Justice of India U U Lalit on Saturday got teary-eyed while reminiscing about the time he spent in Nagpur at the beginning of his career as a lawyer.
Speaking at a felicitation function organised for him by the High Court Bar Association in Nagpur, he promised to do everything to the best of his knowledge and ability during his tenure as CJI.
Stating that he was feeling nostalgic while speaking in Nagpur where he started his journey with law, the CJI referred to a poem by Rudyard Kipling and said, "Life is a journey you undertake and it makes one emotional that it is not what you have covered but it is how you cover that."
Getting teary-eyed at this point, the CJI took a few moments to compose himself.
"I have just one promise to make...I will do everything to the best of my knowledge and ability," he said.
He had fond memories of Nagpur, Justice Lalit said, adding that he was fortunate to have come from a family of lawyers.
The CJI also thanked his wife for standing by him like a 'Rock of Gibraltar' and said they shared a unique bond where she would understand him even before he said anything.
Supreme Court judge Justice Bhushan Gavai, who too practised in Nagpur as a lawyer, also spoke on the occasion.
Innovative and out-of-the-box thinking is the hallmark of Justice Lalit's career, Justice Gavai said, adding that Lalit always consults his colleagues and 'he is a truly democratic leader'.
He convened a full court meeting of all the judges of the SC within a couple of hours of taking charge of the post and came out with solutions for challenging problems such as pendency of old matters, Justice Gavai further said.
As many as 106 old matters which were pending for 10 to 12 years were decided within four days, he noted.
Chief Justice of the Bombay high court Dipankar Datta said the judges were proud to have Justice Lalit as their captain.
When they met for the first time in March 2021 in Delhi, CJI Lalit walked in and said 'Sir, How are you?' Justice Datta recalled, adding, "Let me be very frank, I have been never approached by an SC Judge like this, calling me a Sir."
Though Lalit's tenure as CJI would be short, it has not deterred him from taking major steps to bring about reforms in the Supreme Court, Justice Datta noted.
Justice Lalit took oath as the 49th Chief Justice of India (CJI) last week and will hold office till November 8 this year.
