Veteran Lawyer Ram Jethmalani Dies At 95

Jethmalani's son Mahesh and other close acquaintances said he was not keeping well for a few months.

He was 95.

The noted jurist breathed his last at 7.45 am on Sunday at his official residence in Delhi.

Ram Jethmalani passed away six days before his 96th birthday on September 14, his son said.

Mahesh said his father's last rites will be performed in the evening at the Lodhi Road crematorium in the national capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on Jethmalani's death, saying "India has lost an exceptional lawyer and iconic public figure who made rich contributions both in the Court and Parliament."

"In the passing away of Shri Ram Jethmalani Ji, India has lost an exceptional lawyer and iconic public figure who made rich contributions both in the Court and Parliament. He was witty, courageous and never shied away from boldly expressing himself on any subject," Modi tweeted.

A legal luminary, Jethmalani had served as a law minister and urban development minister during the?Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.?He had also served as a chairman of the Bar Council of India.

He had earned wide respects in legal circles for representing high-profile and controversial cases.

The maverick lawyer once floated a political party of his own, called Pavitra Hindustan Kazhagam, for which he took out full-page ads in all newspapers.

(With inputs from agencies)