Tushar Mehta is an Indian lawyer. He is the Solicitor General of India.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Tushar Mehta was born on Friday, 11 September 1964 (age 59 years; as in 2024) in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. His zodiac sign is Virgo. He earned a law degree from Sir LA Shah Law College in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where he graduated with five gold medals.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 7″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
His father (deceased) was a government employee. His mother was a housewife. The family lived in Jamnagar, but after his father’s death, they moved to Ahmedabad, Gujarat when Mehta was 12 years old.
wife and children
He is married to Aparna Mehta. The couple have two children. His daughter Aastha Mehta Rao is a lawyer and managing partner of AM Legal Associates.
Tushar Mehta’s daughter Aastha Mehta Rao
Address
10, Akbar Road, New Delhi – 110001.
livelihood
Tushar Mehta enrolled as an advocate in 1987. In 1988, he worked as a trainee under Krishnakant Vakharia, a senior lawyer in the Gujarat High Court. In 2000, Tushar Mehta started working at Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank, where Amit Shah was the chairman. The two used to discuss and draft petitions together and became good friends. Mehta worked with Krishnakant Vakharia until 2004 and set up his own practice.
Tushar Mehta in his residence office
In 2008, Mehta was appointed as a senior advocate by the Gujarat High Court and Amit Shah. Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home and Law appointed Mehta as Additional Advocate General. Mehta handled civil cases for the government. Mehta rose to fame in 2010 when he represented the state of Gujarat in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case, where Amit Shah was made an accused. Shah was acquitted in 2014. When Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, Mehta joined Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi’s team. In 2014 he became the Additional Solicitor General of India, India’s second highest law officer. Mehta was appointed as the Solicitor General of India in 2018.
Tushar Mehta (second from right) at a felicitation ceremony on being named Solicitor General of India in 2018
He completed his term in 2020 and was re-appointed for three years along with six new additional solicitors general. He was once again appointed as Solicitor General in July 2023.
notable cases
removal of article 370
On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud upheld the central government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Solicitor General Mehta represented the Central Government. The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir became inoperative, their “special status” was removed and the Indian Constitution became applicable to Jammu and Kashmir. Talking about his role in the case in an interview, Mehta said,
Being the only lawyer involved in the process of abrogation of Article 370 through constitutional and legal means before August 5, 2019 and leading the arguments before the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court defending the constitutional process, it is also a historic moment for me. It’s day. ,
Tushar Mehta (far right, standing) during the court proceedings in the case of abrogation of Article 370.
gay marriage
In 2023, a five-judge Constitution bench refused to legally recognize gay marriage, saying it was within Parliament’s jurisdiction to change the law. The court also refused to accept the right for same-sex couples to adopt jointly. Mehta faced criticism and controversy for statements made during the proceedings of this case. He argued that the “natural way” to raise children would be with a heterosexual couple, a statement that was heavily criticized. In response to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud saying that “a child adopted by a gay or lesbian couple need not be gay or lesbian”, Mehta said,
This may be the personal view of the CJI… when prepared by such couples, it may not be a fair reflection of the psychology of the child.”
There was a public reaction to this statement and activists and citizens highlighted the need for those arguing in court to be educated on the case. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, celebrated the court’s decision and stressed the importance of adhering to the separation of powers.
Tushar Mehta (bottom row, far right), arguing on behalf of the Central government in the same-sex marriage case in court
controversies
comments to journalists
In 2020, during the case of migrant laborers, controversy had arisen due to the statements of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in the Supreme Court. During the proceedings of a petition addressing the challenges faced by migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mehta was hostile towards the intervenors, lawyers and journalists. During the court session, Mehta objected to senior lawyers representing groups assisting migrant workers. He accused him of earning huge sums of money and not leaving his air-conditioned office. This drew criticism, as Mehta himself has a high income and a comfortable office. During the proceedings, they spread negativity and misinformation like,
a few isolated, limited examples [of the migrant crisis] It is being shown again and again…there are some media reports and some people – I want to lodge two complaints. “There are prophets of doom who keep spreading misinformation. Not showing courtesy to the nation… Let those who come before your Lordship establish their credentials. They earn in crores. Have they spent even a single penny? People are feeding people on the streets. Did any of them care to come out of their AC offices? The question to ask is, what contribution have they made?”
Mehta also accused former judges, senior lawyers, historians, writers and activists of “not showing courtesy towards the nation” and lacking patriotism. This strategy was seen as an attempt to divert attention from the real issues before the court. Mehta also tried to compare the government with the nation and said that criticism against the government is not patriotic. This was criticized because elevating the status of the elected government above that of the “nation” was considered dangerous to democracy and fascism. Mehta also attacked the media and undermined the role of the media in reporting the migrant workers’ crisis. Mehta described his work as distasteful and morally wrong. On 30 March 2020, he spread misinformation by denying the presence of a single migrant worker on the road, raising concerns about the duty of a government law officer to tell the truth.
Migrant laborers stranded during COVID-19 pandemic
The court’s failure to address Mehta’s inappropriate behavior and stop him from making such statements raised concerns about the credibility of the Supreme Court.
Trinamool Congress against Tushar Mehta
In 2021, a group of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs (Members of Parliament) met former President Ram Nath Kovind and met with BJP MLA Suvendu to protest against Tushar Mehta for his “criminal misconduct” and “gross impropriety”. Reason demanded action. The officer is an accused in the 2016 Narada tape case.
A picture of Tushar Mehta (right) with Suvendu Adhikari
In response to this Mehta said,
Suvendu Adhikari came to my residence-cum-office yesterday at around 3 pm without any prior notice. Since I was already in a pre-scheduled meeting in my chamber, my staff requested him to sit in the waiting room of my office building… After that my (Private Secretary) informed me about his arrival , I requested him to convey my inability to Mr. Adhikari. He had to wait to meet him and apologize. Mr. Adhikari thanked my PPS and left without requesting to meet me. Therefore the question of my meeting Mr. Adhikari does not arise.”
TMC MPs Sukhendu Shekhar Ray and Mahua Moitra said the meeting raised suspicions of dishonesty and Mehta’s explanation was not acceptable. He accused the officer of attempting to influence criminal cases by linking his visit to Mehta with his meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah. They demanded an investigation into Mehta’s conduct and demanded his resignation to ensure that constitutional values are maintained.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Gujarat University honored Tushar Mehta with the Late Justice Shri N.G.Shelt Memorial Medal.
- Mehta received the Late Shri GD Shah Medal from Gujarat University.
- Mehta was awarded the Late Shri DD Medh Padak by Gujarat University.
- Gujarat Law Society honored Mehta with the Shri Nani Palkhiwala Medal.
- Gujarat Law Society honored Tushar Mehta with Shri Daulat Trivedi Medal.
- Tushar Mehta received an honorary doctorate from Amity University, Noida in 2017.
Tushar Mehta (third from left) receiving an honorary degree from Amity University in 2017
- Tushar Mehta received an honorary doctorate from Karnataka State Law University in 2020.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Tushar Mehta was paid Rs 39.60 lakh for appearing in court nine times for the hijab controversy.
- Tushar Mehta is invited as the chief guest and delivers speeches at various events, panel discussions and universities.
Tushar Mehta (extreme right) with other members of the panel discussion at the Arbitration in India Conclave, 2023
- Mehta is a fan of Urdu poetry and ghazals. His collection includes Mir Taqi Mir, Wali Deccani and Ghalib. In an interview, he mentioned that it is important to have interests outside law and that he reads something related to it every day.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn