Serial petitioner, Supreme Court advocate M L Sharma dies at 69
Manohar Lal Sharma, a well-known Supreme Court lawyer famous for filing loads of Public Interest Litigations (PILs), passed away at 69 after battling kidney disease.
He made headlines as the lead petitioner in the coal block allocation scam case, which led to a major Supreme Court decision in 2014 that declared years of coal allocations illegal.
Who was M L Sharma?
Sharma started his legal journey with a law degree from Mumbai University and filed his first PIL back in 1991.
Over the years, he took on big national issues—challenging Article 370's removal, raising questions about the Rafale jet deal and Pegasus spyware, and even contesting top government appointments.
Though many of his cases were dismissed (with courts often noting that his petitions were based on newspaper reports), Sharma stayed committed to using PILs to push for change.
Controversies and legacy
Sharma also drew attention for defending a convict in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case, which sparked backlash and calls for him to be banned from court.
Despite facing criticism and penalties, he remained persistent with his activism right up until his passing.