Justice Puttaswamy, key petitioner in historic Aadhaar Case, passes away at 98

Justice K.S. Puttaswamy, a former Karnataka High Court judge and a key figure in the landmark Aadhaar case, passed away at the age of 98. Known for lending his name to one of India’s influential legal challenges, Justice Puttaswamy’s petition against the mandatory use of Aadhaar cards led to a defining Supreme Court verdict affirming the right to privacy as a fundamental right.

In 2012, Justice Puttaswamy became the first to challenge the government’s move to make Aadhaar enrolment mandatory, arguing that such a requirement infringed upon individual freedoms. His petition was later joined by 26 others.

The Supreme Court’s historic ruling in the case concluded that the right to privacy is indeed protected by the Indian Constitution, while also asserting that Aadhaar should only be made compulsory for welfare schemes and government benefits, leaving room for voluntary enrolment elsewhere.

Reflecting on the outcome, Justice Puttaswamy expressed satisfaction, stating, “I am completely vindicated by the decision. My contention had always been that Aadhaar enrolment can be made voluntary, in which case I would not have petitioned.”

Justice Puttaswamy was an alumnus of Maharaja’s College in Mysore and later graduated from Government Law College in Bengaluru. His career in the judiciary began with his appointment as a judge of the Karnataka High Court in 1977.

He served on the bench until his retirement in 1986, after which he held several significant administrative roles. These included vice-chairmanship of the Central Administrative Tribunal’s Bangalore Bench, chairmanship of the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal, and leadership of the Backward Classes Commission.