Ajay Kumar Tripathi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hon'ble Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi
Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi
Judicial Member of Lokpal
In office 23 March 2019 – 2 May 2020
Appointed by	Ram Nath Kovind
Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court
In office 7 July 2018 – 22 March 2019
Nominated by	Dipak Misra
Appointed by	Ram Nath Kovind
Succeeded by	Prashant Kumar Mishra
Personal details
Born	12 November 1957 Patna
Died	2 May 2020 (aged 62) AIIMS, New Delhi, India
Cause of death	COVID-19 Heart Attack
Alma mater	Delhi University

Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi (born 12 November 1957 – died 2 May 2020) was an important Indian judge. He served as a Judicial Member of the Lokpal of India, which is like an anti-corruption watchdog. He also held the high position of Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court.

Early Life and Education

Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi was born on 12 November 1957 in Patna. His family had strong ties to public service. His grandfather, Shri Paramanand Tripathi, was a well-known leader for workers. His wife's grandfather, Shri Bindeshwari Dubey, was a former Chief Minister of Bihar.

He went to St. Xavier’s School in Bokaro Steel City. Later, he studied Economics at Shri Ram College of Commerce in 1978. He then studied law at Campus Law Centre, Delhi University. While studying law, he was also a leader in the Delhi Law Faculty Students’ Union.

Career as a Judge

Starting His Legal Journey

In 1981, Justice Tripathi became a lawyer with the Bar Council of Bihar. He started working at the Patna High Court. He handled cases related to government jobs, the Constitution, taxes, and business disputes. He represented the Indian government and its departments, like the Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He also worked for many public companies.

He even appeared in the famous Fodder Scam cases. These cases were about former Chief Ministers of Bihar misusing their power. Justice Tripathi also represented the State of Bihar in its court cases.

Becoming a Judge

Justice Tripathi became an Additional Judge of the Patna High Court on 9 October 2006. He was made a permanent judge there on 21 November 2007.

In 2014, his old college, SRCC, gave him an award for his great achievements in his career. During his time at the Patna High Court, he also led the Bihar State Legal Services Authority. This group helps people get legal help.

Leading the Chhattisgarh High Court

Justice Tripathi became the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court on 7 July 2018. This is a very important role, like being the head judge of the state.

Soon after, on 9 July 2018, he was welcomed by other judges and lawyers. As Chief Justice, he also led the Chhattisgarh State Judicial Academy. This academy trains judges. He helped open its new building in 2018.

Joining the Lokpal of India

On 23 March 2019, Justice Tripathi left his role as Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court. He was chosen to be a Judicial Member of the Lokpal of India. The Lokpal is an important group that fights corruption in India. He took his oath on 27 March 2019.

In 2019, the Patna High Court Association honored him for joining the first Lokpal of India.

Important Decisions

Justice Tripathi made many important decisions during his time as a judge. Here are a few examples:

Fairness in Education and Jobs

In a case called Dr. Pramod Kumar Singh v. The State of Bihar, Justice Tripathi looked at how two university leaders were chosen. He found that the appointments were not done correctly. He said that important decisions like these must follow proper rules and be clearly recorded. He cancelled the appointments because the rules were not followed.

In another case, Dr. Bimal Prasad Singh v. State of Bihar, he cancelled the appointments of 12 school principals. This was because there were problems and unfairness in how they were chosen.

Protecting Property Rights

In Ashalata Verma v. Bihar State Housing Board, Justice Tripathi helped a widow. She wanted to transfer her flat to her daughter-in-law. The Housing Board asked her to pay a lot of extra money, even though she had bought the flat years ago. Justice Tripathi said this demand was unfair and wrong. He ordered the Housing Board to allow the transfer without the extra payment.

Equal Treatment at Work

In Punam Kumari v. The State of Bihar, a woman was fired from her job because she was absent for one day. She was pregnant and needed medical advice. Justice Tripathi ruled that firing her was unfair and against the law. He said that authorities should be understanding and fair, especially when dealing with people's jobs.

Fair Compensation for Land

In Anita Agrawal, Chhattisgarh & Others v. The State of Chhattisgarh, Justice Tripathi dealt with how the government paid people for their land. The government was using a fixed rate that was unfair to poor landowners in rural areas. He said this was wrong and ordered the state to pay fair compensation. He reminded the government that it must use its power fairly and for the good of everyone.

Rights of Workers

In Koshi Project Workers’ Association and Ors. v. The State of Bihar, Justice Tripathi helped workers who had their promotions cancelled. He explained that if workers had been in a certain type of job for a long time, they should be considered permanent government employees. He said that the government's decision to cancel their promotions was wrong.

In Md. Najmuddin v. State of Bihar, Justice Tripathi supported workers who were not getting equal pay. He said that all employees doing the same work should get the same pay and benefits. He emphasized that the government should treat all its employees fairly.

Helping Legal Education

Justice Tripathi cared a lot about teaching law. He was a member of important groups at Chanakya National Law University in Patna and National Law School of India University in Bangalore. He also helped the Education Committee of the Bar Council of India.

When he was the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court, he also led the Hidayatullah National Law University in Raipur.

Personal Life

Justice Tripathi loved playing golf. He was even the President of the Patna Golf Club for a few years. He played in and won many golf tournaments. He was invited by the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir to lead the Bihar team in golf tournaments.

He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Death

In April 2020, Justice Tripathi became sick with COVID-19. He was very ill and needed a ventilator. He sadly passed away on 2 May 2020, from a cardiac arrest (heart attack) at a hospital in New Delhi.

Legacy

To remember Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi, the Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi Foundation was started on 22 August 2022. This group works to promote legal thinking, improve judicial education, and make the legal system better.

The Foundation was officially launched on 27 November 2022. They also held the first Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi Memorial Lecture.

A cricket tournament for young players, called the “Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi Memorial Under-19 Trophy Cricket Championship,” has also been started in his memory. It began on 28 December 2022, in Bokaro Steel City.