Abdul Ghafoor Noorani, former Supreme Court lawyer and constitutional expert, passed away on Thursday in Mumbai. He was 93.
Noorani, born in 1930, began his career as a lawyer in the Bombay High Court in 1953. He was an expert on matters relating to Kashmir and Article 370 of the Constitution, which was abrogated in 2019.
He wrote on legal, political and historical topics, and was a regular contributor to leading publications like Economic & Political Weekly, The Hindustan Times, The Statesman, Frontline and Dawn.
Noorani has written multiple books on constitutional law, politics and history, including The Kashmir Question (1964), Ministers’ Misconduct (1973), Constitutional Questions and Citizens’ Rights (2006), and The RSS: A Menace to India (2019).
Noorani defended Sheikh Abdullah, the first elected prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir after it acceded to India, during his long period of detention.
He also represented former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi in the Bombay High Court in a case against his political rival Jayalalithaa.
In a post on social media platform X, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his sorrow and said that Noorani was a “man of letters, an accomplished lawyer, a scholar & a political commentator”.
The National Conference leader added: “He wrote extensively on matters of law and on subjects like Kashmir, RSS and the constitution. May Allah grant him highest place in Jannat.”
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi called Noorani “a giant among scholars”.
He added: “I learnt a great deal from him, from the constitution, to Kashmir, to China & even the art of appreciating good food.”
Also read: Letters between Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah before the controversial Kashmir accord
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