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M L Sharma, ‘serial petitioner’ and Nirbhaya convict’s lawyer, passes away at 69
The lead petitioner in the coal block allocation scam case, M L Sharma also filed pleas on other issues, including the Rafale deal, the abrogation of Article 370, the Pegasus snooping allegations, and the Hindenburg report.
Supreme Court advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, known for frequent PILs and as the lead petitioner in the coal scam case, died at 69.
Manohar Lal Sharma, a Supreme Court advocate known for his frequent Public Interest Litigation (PIL) interventions and for representing an accused in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case, passed away on Friday. He was 69. Sharma had reportedly been undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments.
In the corridors of the Supreme Court, Sharma was often referred to as a “serial petitioner”. He was known for approaching the top court whenever a major political issue appeared in the news, filing a PIL – a legal mechanism that allows an individual to move court to protect public interest, as opposed to raising a private dispute.
Sharma was the lead petitioner in the coal block allocation scam case. He also filed petitions on several other issues, including the Rafale fighter jet deal, the abrogation of Article 370, the Pegasus snooping allegations, and the Hindenburg report on the Adani group.
Besides, Sharma drew attention while defending an accused (who was later convicted) in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. His remarks about the victim in a BBC documentary had led the Supreme Court Women Lawyers’ Association to petition for a ban on his entry to the apex court.
The Supreme Court frequently dismissed his pleas, often noting they lacked substantive legal grounds or were based solely on newspaper reports. Over the years, multiple benches imposed costs on him for wasting judicial time.
Born in 1956, Sharma started his legal practice in the Allahabad High Court in 1991 before moving to Delhi. Despite the monetary penalties, he continued filing petitions in the Supreme Court on various issues.
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