Retd HC judge, who died abroad, cremated in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: The mortal remains of retired AP and Telangana High Court judge A Ramalingeswara Rao, who passed away during a visit to his daughter in Germany, were brought back to Hyderabad on Thursday and cremated at the Vaikunta Mahaprasthanam Crematorium in Jubilee Hills.
Andhra Pradesh Advocate General S Sriram helped in facilitating the repatriation of Justice Rao’s body from Germany to Hyderabad. Several high court judges, including Justice N Tukaramji and Justice Pulla Karthik paid their respects to Justice Rao, who was also the chairman of the AP Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission.
Former advocate general of Telangana BS Prasad remembered Justice Rao’s commitment to justice and advocacy for the voiceless and marginalised sections of society.
Justice Rao gained widespread acclaim for his role in the landmark Samatha vs State of Andhra Pradesh case, where the Supreme Court upheld his arguments, ruling against the transfer of tribal land to non-tribals.
As a practising advocate at the time, Justice Rao’s advocacy led the Supreme Court to declare that a state is considered a person and therefore cannot transfer land to non-tribals in any manner.