CPI leader N T Vanamamalai passes away

Chennai, May 28 : Leading criminal lawyer and a veteran CPI leader N T Vanamamalai died here this afternoon after a brief illness.

He was 84. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, son-in-law and two grand children.

Family sources said he was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for the past five days for fever and the end came at 1330 hrs this afternoon.

The cremation will take place at the Besant Nagar crematorium tomorrow, family sources said.

Having appeared in a number of cases to protect civil liberty and the rights of the working class, Mr Vanamamalai shot into fame when he secured compensation for the families of Sikhs, massacred in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi assassination.

Only son of Kolkota-based industrialist ''Nanguneri'' N T Chari, Mr Vanamamalai had his B.Sc Degree at Presidency College and studied law at Tirunelveli Law College.

He began his career as a junior of the then leading criminal lawyer K P Balaji in 1943, before he came to Chennai to take up his independent practicising at Madras High Court.

Being in the profession for more than six decades, Mr Vanamamalai, who became a senior lawyer in 1973, was offered Judge's post on several occasions, but he chose to practice only as a lawyer. He had also refused to take up the post of Advocate General when it was offered to him.

Mr Justice Ashok Kumar, Mr Justice S A Basha and Mr Justice R Ragupathy, the sitting judges of Madras High Court are Juniors of Mr Vanamamalai.

During the long stint as a leading criminal lawyer, Mr Vanamamalai had appeared for late actor M R Radha in the ''MGR-M R Radha shoot out'' case. He had also worked with late Union Minister Mohan Kumaramangalam.

While enrolling himself as a lawyer in 1943, Mr Vanamamalai became the member of the CPI and had appeared in a number of cases to protect the interests of the workers.

He had taken part in the agitations organised by the party and served three months imprisonment in 1950. An active member of the party till his last days, he headed the CPI state unit's Control committee and held several posts.

Paying glowing tributes, CPI State unit Secretary T Pandian conveyed heartfelt condolences on behalf of the party to the bereaved family.

UNI