🔆Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka’s Judicial Legacy ✅ Context: • Celebrated for landmark judgments emphasizing liberty, free speech, and equality. • Known for protecting civil liberties, progressive bail jurisprudence, and holding the state accountable. ✅ Key Judicial Contributions: 1. Upholding Fundamental Rights: • Champion of free speech and liberty, intervened against misuse of laws like UAPA and PMLA. • Advocated bail as the rule, jail the exception, even under stringent laws. • Examples: • Jalaluddin Khan vs Union of India (2024) reaffirmed bail principle under UAPA. • PMLA case (Feb 2025) restricted detention without compelling reason. 2. Safeguarding Constitutional Morality: • Protected dissent in Section 153A case (Javed Ahmad, 2024), ruling criminalizing dissent undemocratic. • Struck down laws criminalizing beef possession (Shaikh Zahid Mukhtar, 2016). • Upheld right to peaceful protest against arbitrary use of Section 144 (Sowmya Reddy case, 2020). 3. Protecting Vulnerable Individuals & Due Process: • Directed UP govt to cover education costs of a harassed Muslim boy (2023). • Ordered compensation for illegal demolitions (Zulfiqar Haider case, 2025). • Stressed ideology alone doesn’t justify incarceration (Abdul Sathar case, 2025). ✅ Legacy: • Promoted rights-based legal interpretation, defended constitutional values, empowered common people. • Remembered for compassion, integrity, and dedication—delivered 11 judgments on his final day despite personal loss. #judiciary #civilrights #polity