Senior advocate Seetharama Shetty no more

Mangaluru: Senior advocate Munchirabettu Seetharama Shetty (85) passed away on Thursday. He is survived by wife Vasanthi and children Manoj and Mallika.

Mr Shetty was a graduate of Udupi Law College and joined as a junior trainee with N N Suvarna who was a leading advocate in 1959. He enrolled as an advocate in 1959 after passing the Bar Council Exam in 1960, bagging the 12^th rank in the same year.

Starting off his career as a junior under Kallige Mahabala Bhandary at Kasaragod, he appeared in a number of cases in Mangaluru, Kasaragod and Thalassery district courts. Mr Shetty started independent practice in 1967 in Mangaluru as a specialist in crime related cases.

He has appeared as as special prosecutor in CBI cases in Mandya due to his expertise. He represented the government in an inquiry into firing on farmers at Kunigal, and was also the special prosecutor in the Classik Computer case. Of the many special cases that he has appeared for include the Justice Jagannath Shetty Commission relating to communal violence in Bhatkal, Justice Vaidyanatha Commission, relating to the kidnapping and death of former minister H Nagappa and Justice Sadashivayya Commission relating to communal violence in Surathkal.

Mr Shetty has served as the president of Mangalore Bar Association and District Bar Association of earlier undivided Dakshina Kannada district. He has also been elected multiple times as a member of the Karnataka State Bar Council.

Mr Shetty has also trained many juniors as advocates including minister U T Khader, MLC Ivan DSouza, Moose Kunhi Nayarmoole, Prakash Kumar and Heleema, the last three of whom have served as judges. The death of the illustrious advocate and senior has been condoled by Ivan DSouza and U T Khader.