Justice RK Patra cremated at Swargadwar in Odisha’s Puri 

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar/Puri/Cuttack, Jan 28:

The mortal remains of Odisha’s eminent legal luminary Justice Radha Krushna Patra, who passed away at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack this morning, were consigned to flame at Swargadwar in Puri this afternoon.

A guard of honour was given to Justice Patra before his body was cremated.

Earlier in the day, the body of Justice Patra was brought from the SCB Hospital to his home at Dihasahi in Cuttack.

The body was kept at his official residence at Cantonment Road where eminent personalities, including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjib Marik and Chief Justice of Odisha High Court Amitava Roy, paid homage to the departed soul.

The body was later taken to the Chit Fund Commission office and the Consumer court and then to the Odisha High Court where senior lawyers and judges offered their tributes to Justice Patra.

On the way to Puri, the body was taken to the office of the Odisha State Human Rights Commission in Bhubaneswar.

“I did not have any personal acquaintance with Justice Patra. But I have come to learn that he was a self-made man and had a humble beginning,” said Amitava Roy, Chief Justice of the Odisha High Court.

In his reaction, former judge of the Odisha High Court AS Naidu said Justice Patra had shown his competence and skill in all legal matters and held several positions.

“His tenure as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court is still remembered by the people there. He was also the chairman of the Law Commission in Sikkim and continued in that position till his last. He had dedicated his life to legal matters pertaining to law and order, framing of new laws and interpretaion of existing laws. We have lost a man of imposing personality,” said AS Naidu, chairman of the Kandhamal riot probe panel.

Expressing profound grief over the sad demise of Justice Patra, Odisha High Court Justice PK Mohanty said, “He was very friendly and took his profession very seriously. He was very kind to the people and helped them get instant justice. As a judge, his performance was quite good”.

“A Judge of the highest order, Justice Patra was thoroughly impartial. As a human being, he was always in touch with the people from all walks of life,” said Justice Basudev Panigrahi, former Odisha High Court Judge and chairman of the inquiry commission of Kalinganagar police firing.

Referring to the chit fund scams in the state, he said the death of Justice Patra had come as a bolt from the blue for depositors, who had reposed their faith on him to provide justice to them as the chairman of the Chit Fund Commission of Inquiry.