A tribute to Justice Arun Chandra Upadhyay

He had his schooling at Behali and after matriculation he was admitted to Darrang College where completed his BSC under Gauhati University. Thereafter, Late Upadhyay did his LLB with flying colours from Gauhati University. During his student life at Darrang College and Gauhati University he was very ambitious and was a popular sportsman. After passing LLB in the year 1976 he enrolled himself as an advocate under the Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and started his practice at Guwahati.

He practised mainly in the Gauhati High Court, District Court Kamrup. Thereafter he was selected in the Assam Judiciary in the year 1981 and joined in the Assam Judicial Service and was appointed as Munsiff in the year 1981. As a Judicial officer Late Upadhyay served in many parts of Assam under different capacities and left an imprint of his cordial relations between Bar and Bench. He also served as Session Judge and also served as Registrar General the Gauhati High Court.

He also held the post of Secretary, Judicial Department of the Assam Government. Later he was appointed as a Judge of the Gauhati High Court on 28th December 2008, and after serving as a High Court Judge at Principal Bench and at different outline Benches of the Gauhati High Court he retired on 26th July, 2013. He was closely associated with National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam from its inception. For a brief period he was also officiating Vice Chancellor of National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam. He also served as a Director of Judicial Academy, Assam & North Eastern Judicial Officers' Training Institute. Late Upadhyay was a very popular and relief-oriented Judicial Officer. Late Upadhyay used to inspire the new entrants for hardworking as well as to update with the Judicial decision of the Gauhati High and the Supreme Court. Late Upadhyay passed many landmark judgements which shall remain as a guiding judgement. He was associated with several socio-cultural religious organizations including Bharatiya Gorkha Parsangh as its well wisher. His sudden death news cast a pall of gloom amongst the legal fraternity of the entire Northeast, many of its wellwishers, advocates and judges rushed to his house and paid tribute to the departed soul. Death is inevitable and no one can escape from the icy hand of death. His death is a big loss to the legal fraternity. Though basically he was a lawyer and judge yet he had no vanity. He had a golden heart which was full of compassion for which his memory will be ever cherished among the advocates. Late Upadhyay was 69 and survived by wife and two daughters who are well settled. His death was widely condoled by different Bar and Benches of the Northeast. Today on the occasion of the Adhya Shradha I pay my homage to the departed soul. May his soul rest in peace.

 Subhash Chandra Biswas

Also watch: Evening Bulletin | 13th June, 2020