BENGALURU: Retired Karnataka High Court judge Justice K L Manjunath passed away in the wee hours of Saturday due to a massive cardiac arrest at the age of 68, family sources said. Justice Manjunath, who was also the chairman of Karnataka River Water and Border Disputes Authority (KRWBDA), is survived by his wife and two children.
On Sunday morning, Justice Manjunath’s mortal remains were brought to the city and kept at his residence in Kamakshipalya till afternoon. Sitting judges of the high court, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, some of his cabinet colleagues, Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC President DK Shivakumar and others paid their last respects to the retired judge. Condoling the demise of Justice Manjunath, Bommai said that he was a very good lawyer. His services as president of the Advocates’ Association, High Court judge, chairman of KRWBDA and Andhra Pradesh Backward Classes Commission is commendable, he said.
In separate tweets, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his son, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, also condoled the death as a great loss to the State. Kumaraswamy said that Justice Manjunath had great concern regarding the State and language, adding that he was appointed chairman of KRWBDA, when he was chief minister. He discharged his duty responsibly and effectively, he observed.
Sitting judges of the high court, Justices B Veerappa and H P Sandesh were among others who paid their last respects, said A P Ranganath, former president of Advocates’ Association of Bengaluru, who took part in the funeral.
Born on April 21, 1953, Justice Manjunath enrolled as an advocate in 1974 and practised in the Karnataka HC. He was appointed as an additional judge of the Karnataka HC in December 2000 and a permanent judge in October 2001. After retiring in 2015, he was appointed chairman of KRWBDA. In the afternoon, the mortal remains were laid to rest at his farm near Nelamangala on the city’s outskirts.