Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri: Former Chief Justice of India

Justice Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri was born on 4^th January 1889 in Mandakolathur, Tamil Nadu. He has done expertise in Tax Law. He was a member of a bench that has heard a number of famous cases where the scope of basic rights has been expanded while still adhering to the letter of the law to protect the country's inhabitants. He was preceded by Justice H. J. Kania and succeeded by Mehr Chand Mahajan. He died in New Delhi on 16^th March 1963 (aged 74).

Early Life and Education

He was the son of renowned Sanskrit pandit Pandit Krishna Sastri and a graduate of Madras' Pachaiyappa's College. He earned a B.A. from Madras University in or around 1910, then went on to get an LL.B. and become an advocate the following year.

Career

Justice Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri began his legal career during the following time period −

In 1914, Sastri started his legal career as an attorney in the Madras High Court. During this period, he gained a reputation as a specialist in tax law, notably with Chettiar clients.

In 1922, in acknowledgment of his skills in this area, he was appointed standing counsel to the Commissioner of Income Tax; he kept this post until his promotion to the Bench on March 15, 1939.

He was appointed a judge of the Federal Court, which later changed its name to the Supreme Court, on December 6, 1947. In the time, he was third in seniority at the Madras High Court.

When Sir Harilal Kania, the Chief Justice, unexpectedly passed away on November 6, 1951, Sastri, the senior-most associate justice, was named as the new Chief Justice. Up to his retirement age on January 3, 1954, Sastri held the role.

Post-Retirement

After retiring, Sastri continued to be involved with the International Law Association's Delhi chapter and served as the chairman of the commission that oversaw the nationalization of India's airlines. In addition, he was a member of the Press Trust of India's board of directors and the Madras Legislative Council from July 1958 to April 1962. Prior to his passing on March 16, 1963, he had served as chairman of the Central Sanskrit Board since 1959 and the Kendriya Sanskrit Vidya Pith in Tirupati. He was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and an active member of the executive council of Benares Hindu University. A heart attack claimed his life in Delhi at the home of his son-in-law.

Fact	Detail
Name	Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri
Date of Birth	4th Januaray, 1889
Alma Mater	Madras University
Official Tenure	7 November 1951 – 3 January 1954
President	Rajendra Prasad
Preceded by	H. J. Kania
Succeeded by	Mehr Chand Mahajan
As Judge	Judge of the Federal Court Judge of the Supreme Court of India Chief Justice of India

Notable Judgements

The notable judgments are −

Romesh Thaper vs. State of Madras (1950 SCR 594)

The court ruled that in the event of a breach of basic rights, the party who was wronged might, at his discretion, appeal to both the high court and the Supreme Court. According to the court, freedom of speech and expression involves the freedom to spread ideas, which can only be accomplished through circulation.

Shankari Prasad Singh Deo vs. Union of India (1952 SCR 89)

The court adhered to the rule of harmonious construction between Article 368 and 13 and affirmed the constitutionality of the first amendment to the Indian constitution. They maintained that although the judiciary can defend them by issuing writs, parliament has the authority to modify even fundamental rights.

Commissioner of Income Tax vs. Ahmedbhai Umarbhai and Company (1950 SCR 335)

A question emerged over the section 5 meaning of the word "enterprise." According to the honorable court, the term "component of business" under section 5 doesn't always refer to a distinct composite unit comprising all business operations. However, it is broad enough to cover one or more commercial operations.

State of Madras vs. V.G. Row (1952 SCR 597)

It was argued that the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1908's provision 15(2)(b) violated basic rights. According to Article 19, the Supreme Court ruled that the same was unlawful and invalid (4).

Justice’s Ideoloy

Chief Justice Patanjali imparted to us the important lesson that when one works hard, one cannot be disregarded by society. His achievements elevated him to the position of Chief Justice of India. According to him, “being better than you were yesterday is more important than being the greatest. Perhaps by taking modest steps at a time, you will eventually arrive at your target without ever realizing it.”

FAQs

Q1. Who had appointed Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri as the chief justice of India?

Ans. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, had appointed Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri as the chief justice of India on November 7, 1951.

Q2. Before being appointed as judge, in which court was Justice Sastri practicing law?

Ans. Before being appointed as judge, justice Sastri was practicing law at Madras High Court.