Former High Court Judge Elipe Dharma Rao passes away

Former High Court judge, Justice Elipe Dharma Rao passed way this morning at his native residence in Karapa Village, Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. He was 67 years old.

Born in July 1951, Justice Dharma Rao obtained his BL degree in 1978. He was made an additional judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in May 1999. In 2000, he was made a permanent judge of the Court. In January 2006, he was transferred to the Madras High Court.

He has served as Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court twice – between April and June 2010, and between December 2012 and February 2013.

Among the notable judgments rendered by Justice Dharma Rao are those passed in the interest of Environmental protection. During his tenure, he directed the demolition of tourist resorts blocking elephant corridors in the Nilgiris.

In 2011, he upheld the Tamil Nadu Government’s decision to notify an Elephant Corridor in the Nilgiris. He further directed private land owners to surrender vacant land falling in the notified corridor. In 2012, he ordered the removal of unregulated solar fences in the area. Post retirement, he has drawn the attention of the Hyderabad High Court to the illegal conversion of land in Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh.

He has also served as the Executive Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Legal Services Authority, during which time dispute settlement via Lok Adalats was reported to have set new records. He retired from service on July 14, 2013.

Image courtesy: Tamil Nadu State Judicial Academy website