KOCHI: Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan, former judge and Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, passed away at a private hospital in Kochi on Monday. He was 64. Radhakrishnan had also served as the Chief Justice of the High Courts of Kolkata, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, and was the first Chief Justice of Telangana.
He started practice in Thiruvananthapuram. After shifting to the Kerala High Court in Ernakulam, Radhakrishnan practised in different branches of law, specifically civil, Constitutional and administrative laws.
He was appointed as the judge of the Kerala High Court on October 14, 2004, and served as its acting chief justice for two terms. He was then relieved from the HC in 2017 after being elevated to the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court. He retired in April 2021.
After his retirement, the Supreme Court appointed him as an enquiry authority to fix the culpability regarding the illegal construction of the Maradu apartments, which were demolished for violating the Coastal Regulation Zone rules in 2022.
He had submitted a report blaming the Kerala government, Maradu grama panchayat, municipality and local self-government institutions for the illegal constructions.
He also headed the expert committee formed by the Kerala forest department to conduct field studies on buffer zones that surround wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.He was also the executive chairman of the Kerala Legal Services Authority.
Radhakrishnan played a pivotal role in improving the facilities in mental health care centres.
He issued an order by e-mail for ensuring speedy justice for mentally-ill patients by applying technological advancement in 2013.
The order directed to provide facilities for the safe and convenient transit of eight mentally-ill persons who were the inmates of Palluruthy Relief Centre (PRC), to Uttar Pradesh.
He is survived by wife Meera Radhakrishnan, and children Parvathi Nair and Kesavaraj Nair. The funeral was held at Pachalam crematorium on Monday.
