Education : B.A., LLB. (Allahabad University), M.A. (Philosophy of Science, Princeton University, U.S.A.)

Practising lawyer in the Supreme Court of India since 1983. Specialising mainly in public interest litigation, particularly involving human rights, environmental Issues, and accountability of public servants

Member, Joint Drafting Committee on Lokpal Law

Founding member India Against Corruption

Convenor, Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform

Some important cases handled:

1. The Narmada Bachao Andolan Case (challenging the construction of Dams on the Narmada river)
2. The Bofors case (involving corruption in a major arms purchase deal)
3. The Contempt of Court case against Arundhati Roy (involving Freedom of speech and criticism of the judiciary)
4. The Enron case (challenging the Enron power project at Dabhol, Maharashtra, India)
5. The Doon valley mining case (challenging the limestone mining in the Doon valley in India)
6. The Right to Information Case (seeking government guidelines which will facilitate the right to information for citizens)
7. The Panna Mukta oilfields case (challenging the sale of developed oilfields from a government company to Private companies for a pittance)
8. The Oil companies disinvestment case (challenging the disinvestment and sale of government oil companies to the private sector)
9. The Mauritius Double taxation case (challenging the tax exemption given to post box companies registered in Mauritius)
10. The case by which candidates in elections have been obliged to disclose their assets and criminal antecedents.
11. The 2G spectrum scam case
12. The CVC appointment case
13. The Radia Tapes case
14. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Implementation
15. Case against rampant illegal mining in Bellary and other districts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
16. NTRO scam case
17. SEBI scam case
18. RTI case against the judiciary seeking details about assets, appointment and inquiry information of SC and HC judges
19. Cases seeking independent investigations into fake encounter of Maoist leaders and “terrorists” by the Police
20. Case against GM food
21. Police Reforms case
22. Rights of street hawkers
23. Rights of cycle rickshaw pullers
24. Rights of slum dwellers
25. National Broadcaster Prasar Bharti scam
26. Kandla Port lands scam
27. MTNL scam
28. Removal of tainted Sikkim HC Chief Justice
29. Scam concerning introduction of new costly vaccines in the immunization programme

Publications:

Books :

1. “The Case That Shook India” (Vikas Publications, 1977) (About the case challenging the election of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, which led to the declaration of Emergency and the suspension of civil liberties in India in 1975)
2. “Bofors: The Selling Of A Nation” (Vision Books, 1990) (About the Bofors Gun deal and its unravelling)

Numerous articles in major newspapers and magazines on legal and political issues.

Membership of Governing Bodies of Civil Society Organisations

1. The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms
2. The National Campaign for People's Right to Information
3. The National Alliance of People's movements
4. The Centre for Public Interest Litigation
5. Common Cause
6. India Against Corruption
7. Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform
8. Committee on Judicial Accountability