Justice Ranjeet Kumar Batta was born on September 3, 1941, in Kakra village, Sangrur district, Punjab. As a young man he aspired to join the Indian Police Service, inspired by his maternal uncle who was an IPS officer of integrity and dedication. He even applied for the examination but was unable to appear due to unforeseen circumstances. In hindsight, he often admitted that given the erosion of honesty in the police cadre, he would have been a misfit there. Destiny had better things in store: He was to serve as a Judge of the Bombay High Court.
Batta completed his schooling in Delhi, graduated in Economics from Hansraj College, and obtained his law degree from the Delhi University in 1963, followed by an LLM in 1966. His academic brilliance earned him the Baboo Pearey Lal Union Prize and the University Law Union Prize in 1965. Initially, he trained under Senior Advocate Bipin Bihari Lal, a leading criminal lawyer in Delhi. During this period, he witnessed disturbing malpractices, including touts demanding exorbitant cuts from lawyers’ fees and colleagues suggesting that money be extracted in a judge’s name. These experiences shook his faith in the legal system and left him disillusioned with the profession. Determined to contribute to cleansing the institution, he resolved to join the judiciary.
After unsuccessful attempts to secure posts in Calcutta and even an admission offer from Michigan Law School that financial constraints prevented him from pursuing, his destiny led him to Goa. Selected for the judiciary here in 1969, he hoped to transfer later to Delhi when a Union Territory cadre was created. However, the Goa government, facing shortage of judges, refused to release him. A teaching opportunity at the Police Academy in Hyderabad also slipped away for the same reason. Thus, by fate and design, he was destined to serve Goa’s judiciary for three decades.
When he arrived in Goa, the judiciary was small, with just one district and a handful of judges. Early on, he encountered group rivalries among senior judges that sometimes erupted into unseemly disputes. Yet, through diligence and integrity, he rose steadily from Civil Judge Junior Division to District Judge over 25 years, serving in almost every taluka. In 1995, on the retirement of Justice Eurico da Silva, he was elevated to the Bombay High Court despite rumours of attempts to block his promotion.
Throughout his career, Justice Batta faced threats and pressures but never compromised. As a JMFC in Panaji, he remanded a municipal councillor to custody despite warnings about the man’s political clout. He even received a threatening letter asking him to leave Goa or face elimination, but remained steadfast. On another occasion, as Sessions Judge, he refused to succumb to requests from an influential doctor seeking relief for an accused who had helped a smuggler escape from jail. He set aside the discharge and remanded the matter, leading to conviction.
His judicial integrity was tested again in Daman in 1972 when political and criminal pressure was brought to secure bail for a smuggler. He refused, despite warnings and threats to his life. The Sessions Court later granted bail, but the Judicial Commissioner restored his order, vindicating his stand. Years later, as a High Court judge, he resisted pressure in a case involving construction of a beachside hotel owned by powerful figures, one related to a Supreme Court judge. He preferred to recuse himself rather than allow doubts about his impartiality.
Justice Batta was known for strict discipline in court, equal respect to all lawyers, and erudite judgments that were clear and methodical. Among his notable rulings was in Keshav Bablo Gaude vs. Ramakant Khandeparkar, where he held that a mundkar has the right to remain in his dwelling house and reconstruct within the plinth area, protecting countless mundkars in Goa. In State vs. Kiran Mohan Khandolkar, he clarified the law on approvers, ruling that such persons must testify as witnesses and cannot be tried alongside other accused, thus strengthening fairness in criminal trials.
His decision in Jacinto Rosario Santana Pereira vs. Baboi Bhagwant Naik restricted the scope of powers of attorney, holding that a constituted attorney cannot depose on behalf of the party but only as an independent witness. The Supreme Court later affirmed this view.
Equally significant were constitutional cases before him. In a matter of disqualification of MLAs Wilfred D’Souza and Dayanand Narvekar, he held that the Speaker of the Assembly could grant interim relief but only sparingly and in exceptional cases, and that such orders, if contrary to natural justice, could be reviewed by the court. In Pratapsingh Rane vs. Governor of Goa, he clarified that executive actions taken by the Governor on the advice of the Council of Ministers are subject to judicial review, but those taken in his sole discretion are not.
In Camilo Pleaded Calico vs. Chandrakant Keni, he addressed the tendency of courts to condone delay liberally, warning that “indulgence in judicial parlance is not charity” and that valuable rights accruing from limitation should not be lightly disturbed. Beyond his judgments, Justice Batta was admired for embodying integrity in a system where corruption often taints public perception.
No account of his life is complete without reference to his wife, Sunita Batta, who stood by him throughout with grace and quiet strength. Intelligent and hospitable, she was known for her culinary skills, including Goan dishes that reflected the family’s affection for the state where they spent decades. They are blessed with two children, both happily married and settled.
When asked about his experience in Goa, Justice Batta candidly said he thoroughly enjoyed serving here, finding satisfaction in his work and admiration for Goans as peace-loving people who exemplified communal harmony. He often spoke warmly of their love for music, food, and the unmatched taste of prawn curry, bebinca, and dodol.
Justice R K Batta completes 84 years of life today. Goa was indeed fortunate to have such an erudite, honest, and disciplined judge serve its judiciary for over 25 years. Let us wish him a long, happy, healthy, and peaceful life.
(The writer is a former Judge of the Bombay High Court)
