New Delhi: The Supreme Court paid a rare homage to Kerala's former Advocate General and prominent lawyer KP Dandapani, who passed away on March 21, 2023, aged 76.
Remembering the legal luminary, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud told a Full-Court Reference that Dandapani was synonymous with legal knowledge. He guided all who had approached him. The late Advocate General was a person with clarity and insight.
The Chief Justice also recalled that Dandapani later married and established a personal and professional relationship with Sumathi, his college friend. The legal firm that they founded, Dhandapani Associates, occupied a prominent place in the legal sector.
Dandapani holds the record for filing and settling the most company cases. He refused to be a judge since he was more interested in arguing cases, and later became the Advocate General, Chief Justice Chandrachud recalled.
The late legal luminary, as the President of the High Court Advocates Association, was instrumental in establishing a display board providing the status of cases under the court's consideration. The board became helpful for advocates who rushed from one court to another.
Dandapani's family members including his wife and Kerala High Court Senior Advocate Sumathi Dandapani were present at the cermony.
The Chief Justice also recalled the contributions of prominent lawyers RD Agarwala, DK Aggarwal, and Bhagwan Dutta. Attorney General R Venkataramani recalled Dandapani as a daring Advocate General with clarity. President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Adish C Aggarwala also spoke.