My Years in the Supreme Court continues....

To every visitor, at departure, he and his wife used to give some sweets and a betel leaf. This year also he met everybody in the party and looked after all his guests, When I took leave of him, I told him that he was putting too much strain on himself, but he looked quite happy and healthy. He gave me that evening double the quantity of sweets! During the night he again got a serious heart attack.

This heart attack proved fatal in spite of an expert being called from Jaipur. Chief Justice Kania expired two or three days after Diwali and the Court thus lost its first Chief Justice at the comparatively young age of 54 or 55. Had he lived he would have presided over the Supreme Court for a considerable time and as a matter of fact most of his colleagues would have retired during his tenure of office.

It seems fate had decreed otherwise. Owing to his sudden death the question of other persons to take his place as successive Chief Justices of India, arose. Mr. Justice Patanjali Sastri succeeded him as Chief Justice, the second Chief Justice of India. I succeeded Mr. Justice Patanjali Sastri for a short period as the third Chief Justice of India. I was succeeded by Mr. Justice Mukerjee, who died within a few months of his assuming office as the fourth. Mr. Justice S. R. Das, the fifth Chief Justice of India retired in 1960.

None of this chain of succession would have taken place but for the unfortunate death of Chief Justice Kania.

To be continued..