SC judge dedicates Sambhal violence judgment to late law clerk

New Delhi: Supreme Court Justice Dipankar Datta on Tuesday dedicated a judgment to the memory of his late law clerk-cum-research associate, Ritwik Deswal, whose research contributed to the preparation of the decision before his untimely death, according to a report by The Free Press Journal.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu delivered the judgment in a case challenging the preventive detention of an accused under the National Security Act (NSA) in connection with the Sambhal violence. The decision was pronounced in Court 6 on September 29 and opened with an unusual personal tribute to Deswal.

Justice Datta recalled Deswal as a valued member of the bench’s research team and noted that he died just days before turning 27. The judge said the young researcher’s final work had left a lasting mark on the judgment and acknowledged his contribution to the legal research undertaken before his death.

The tribute also reflected the judge’s grief over Deswal’s sudden death and remembered his dedication to legal scholarship and commitment to justice. The judgment described the decision as a final collaboration with the deceased law clerk.

After the personal tribute, the bench proceeded to examine the challenge to the NSA detention order. The Supreme Court ultimately found the detention unlawful and quashed the order.

The court also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pay ₹10 lakh in costs.

The judgment, therefore, combined a significant ruling on preventive detention with an uncommon personal acknowledgement from a Supreme Court judge of the contribution of a young legal researcher who died before the decision could be delivered.