Singer only non-legal personality to get Full Court Reference
Bhupenda” as the legendary Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika was better known, would go down in history as the only non-legal personality to be paid obeisance by a Full Court Reference with all judges in attendance.
Last week, history was created at the Gauhati High Court where the Advocates’ Association of the High Court gathered in large numbers inside the courtroom to read out a reference in honour of Bhupen Hazarika, who was cremated last week with full honours in his home State.
Though this showed the scale of popularity and respect the legendary singer enjoyed, this event was unprecedented since Full Court Reference till date is made on the demise of any lawyer or judge. In a departure from this settled practice, lawyers gathered inside Court No 3 on Wednesday afternoon where the Full Court Reference was presided by Justice Amitava Roy, since that day Chief Justice Madan B Lokur was given a farewell by the Bar Association on his transfer to Andhra Pradesh High Court.
According to a source in Gauhati HC Bar Association, “No invitation was sent for lawyers to participate as it was a unanimous decision to read the reference in honour of Bhupenda. He was a cultural doyen and a music maestro whose loss has created a huge void that cannot be filled. Owing to the place he enjoyed in the hearts and minds of every citizen in the State, lawyers desired to pay homage to this great soul in their own special way.”
There was three-day mourning in the State beginning November 6, a day after the demise of the music legend. But, with the decision to cremate Bhupenda’s mortal remains being postponed to November 9, lawyers who assembled in the day for the Full Court Reference in HC dispersed only to later assemble in the afternoon to first bid farewell to the Chief Justice and then to assemble in another Court to bid adieu to Bhupenda.
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