Former judge of the Orissa High Court Justice Debendra Mohan Patnaik died here on Wednesday following a protracted illness. He was 76 and is survived by his wife Prava and two daughters Swagata Das and Saswata Patnaik, a lawyer.
He joined the Dhenkanal Bar in 1961 after completing LLB from MS Law College here, as a practising advocate and the Orissa Superior Judicial Service (senior branch) in 1980. Justice Patnaik was elevated as Judge of the Orissa High Court in 1991 and retired in September 1999. He was also the president of State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission from 1999 to 2004.
Justice Patnaik was accomplished in classical music and had been an artiste with AIR before entering judicial service.
His last rites were performed at Swargadwar in Puri. Chief Justice V Gopalagowda, judges of the HC and DGP Manmohan Praharaj paid their respects at his home at CDA Sector 7. The HC and lower courts in Cuttack were closed for the day.