Emotional CJI holds court for last time

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra held court, along with his successor Ranjan Gogoi, for the last time Monday, stopping a lawyer who broke into song to wish him a long life to say he was "responding from the heart" but will speak from his mind in the evening.

CJI Misra, who presided over benches that delivered a series of key verdicts like the one on Aadhaar and homosexuality during the last 10 days, appeared to be emotional during the brief court proceedings that lasted about 25 minutes.

The chief justice in his inimitable style stopped a lawyer who started singing at the fag end of the proceedings.

"Tum jiyo hazaron saal..." the lawyer crooned, singing the opening lines of a Hindi film song from the late 1950s usually played on birthdays.

CJI Misra immediately stopped him and said, "Presently I am responding from my heart. I will respond from my mind in the evening."