Condolences pour in for Justice Iyer

Condolences poured in for 'centurion' V.R. Krishna Iyer, one of the most respected names in the Indian judiciary, who breathed his last at a private hospital Thursday.

Justice Iyer had celebrated his 100th birthday Nov 15 and greeted all who came to wish him.

The media houses Thursday found it difficult to find space for all, right from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and many political leaders cutting across political lines.

Many political leaders in Kerala sent their condolences, and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy air-dashed to Kochi from the Kerala assembly session to pay his last respects.

Chandy would be there again Friday evening to attend the funeral.

Known as 'Swamy' to all, Justice Iyer excelled in many fields, be it in the political spectrum when he was law minister in the first Communist government led by E.M.S. Namboodiripad in 1957 or while delivering verdicts, when he served as a judge both in the high court and in the Supreme Court.

He took a very strong view on receiving a letter from a prisoner in Delhi's Tihar Jail, who complained of conditions in prison.

Justice Iyer was always known to have brought justice to the doorsteps of all.

One of his judgments that will never be forgotten was the 'conditional stay' given as a vacation judge in the apex court against the Allahabad High Court verdict that declared void late prime minister Indira Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha.

It was this verdict that enabled Gandhi to continue as the prime minister in 1975.

Soon after when she declared emergency, Iyer was criticised for his order.