Known to his clients as the “big picture guy” Raian Karanjawala is the co-founder and managing partner of Karanjwala & Co, which he started with his wife Manik.

Read his amazing journey from a barsati (a one-room apartment on the terrace with a verandah outside) in Maharani Bagh,
New Delhi, with two desks, to one of India’s most influential law firms, serving everyone from governments and companies in trouble to celebrities and street vendors in distress.

ON BEST COURT ROOM MEMORIES

First would be Nani Palkhivala arguing K.P. Verghese’s case which was Section 52(2) of the Income Tax Act.  It came up in Court Room No. 2 before Justice Bhagwati and Palkhivala came in on the second day, took over from Mr. Anil Divan and completely turned the Bench in the course of the first round of his arguments. I know that Justice Bhagwati told his daughter Pallavi Shroff later that he too felt that this was one of Palkhivala’s best arguments. 

The second argument that comes to mind was parts and patches of H.M. Seervai’s argument in the first Judge’s case, namely S.P. Gupta.  Incidentally, both Manik and I were juniors in that case.

The third argument that comes to mind was Fali Nariman’s rejoinder in the UCO Bank case where earned the nickname ‘the cannon’ in our office (at that time P.H. Parekh & Co.) for his brilliant argument.  Incidentally, I was also in that matter.

The other counsel whose performance comes to mind is Soli Sorabjee when arguing Sanjay Gandhi’s bail cancellation before Justice Chandrachud, the then Chief Justice of India.

The fifth case I recollect is K.K. Venugopal in certain patches of the Swadeshi Polytech case. 

Next : The First Judges Case

In conversation with Sangeeth Sebastian

Follow sangeeth @sangeethspeak