Fali Nariman: the corporate lawyer who stood up to power

Principle over power

To be fair, he had already shown, in his response to the Emergency, that his moral compass was guided by principle rather than expediency. Following his resignation, the government withdrew his security cover, and the family had to vacate their official bungalow. They struggled to find a landlord willing to rent them a house in Delhi. Nevertheless, he went on to build a large and lucrative commercial and civil practice, dominating the commercial courts with his intellectual rigour, meticulous preparation and formidable courtroom presence. In fact, life came full circle in 2007, when the Congress-led government, the very party whose administration he had walked out on during the Emergency, conferred the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, on him.