Pune: PB Sawant, a former Supreme Court Justice passed away at his residence in Pune on Monday. The 91-year-old was also a former Judge at Bombay High Court. The last rites will be performed on Tuesday (January 16), according to the sources.

WHO WAS JUSTICE SAWANT

PB Sawant began practicing as an advocate at the Bombay High Court and later served at Supreme Court of India. He was appointed Judge of the Bombay High Court in 1973. In 1989, Sawant was appointed justice in the Supreme Court.

After his retirement in 1995, he was active in public affairs and also chaired PB Sawant Commission in September 2003. The Commission was formed to investigate corruption charges against multiple Ministers in Maharashtra state, namely, Suresh Jain and Vijaykumar Gavit, Nawab Malik and Padmasinh Patil.

Justice Sawant was also a former Chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI). Among his prominent acts was an inquiry on the Air-India flight crash in 1982. In 2002, he also served with retired Justice Hosbet Suresh on an Indian People's Tribunal ruled by Justice VR Krishna Iyer to inspect the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Justice Sawant and Justice Kolse-Patil were the co-convenors of the Elgar Parishad that was held at Pune in 2017.

Personalities from all the sectors paid tribute to PB Sawant on Monday. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on his Facebook said, "Pained by the demise of noted former Justice P. B. Sawant Ji. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends in this hour of grief. May the departed soul rest in peace."

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