NEW DELHI: Former Union law minister and eminent jurist Shanti Bhushan died Tuesday at his home in Delhi following a brief illness, a source close to his family said. He was 97.
Bhushan, who was also a senior advocate, served as the law minister from 1977 to 1979 in the Morarji Desai cabinet.
Bhushan, whose sons Jayant and Prashant Bhushan are leading lawyers, was active in the legal profession till recently and had argued on a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the Rafale fighter jets deal.
Shanti Bhushan appeared in several cases of public importance.
He represented petitioner Raj Narain in the Allahabad High Court in a famous case in which the election of then prime minister Indira Gandhi was annulled for committing electoral malpractices.
He was quite vocal on the issue of corruption which led him to his brief association with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju condoled the demise of Shanti Bhushan, saying he was deeply pained by the news of the passing away of the eminent jurist.
"Deeply pained to hear the news that former Union Law and Justice Minister Shanti Bhushan ji is no more.
My deepest condolences to the family members on his passing away. My prayers for the departed soul. Om Shanti," Rijiju wrote on Twitter.