Bangalore: Mangalorean B V Pinto Becomes Judge of Karnataka High Court

By Gabriel Vaz
Pics by Charles Gomes
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Mar 12: Mangalorean Konkani catholic Benedict Victor Pinto, became the first judge of Karnataka High Court from the Mangalorean Konkani Catholic community after nearly 50 years when he along with three others – Bijoor Manohar, who also hails from the coastal Dakshina Kannada district, Kalvachaiah Govindarajulu and Hosahalli Sheshadri Kempanna  -- were sworn in by Chief Justice P D Dinakaran in Bangalore on Friday morning.

The swearing-in ceremony of the four new Justices as Additional Judges held in the jam-packed Karnataka High Court hall early in the morning was preceded by the reading the warrant of appointment issued by President Pratibha Patil by High Court’s Registrar General R B Boodhihal.

All judges of High Court, State Advocate General Ashok Haranahalli, Karnataka State Bar Council Chairman Jayakumar S Patil, Bar Council Vice Chairman Malleshaiah, Bangalore Advocates Association President K N Puttegowda and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s Legal Advisor K Diwakar, former DGP F T R Colaco,  Federation of Konkani Catholic Associations Chairman Charles Gomes, Konkani Film Producer Raymond Quadros as well as family members, friends and relatives of the new judges.

It may be recalled that the last Mangalorean Konkani Catholic to serve as judge of Karnataka High Court was Diony Noronha in the 1960s. Justice Noronha was the brother-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Secretary Cecil Norohna, according to former DGP F T R Colaso. Of course, Justice Michael Francis Saldanha had also served in the Karnataka High Court. But Justice Saldanha was from Bombay High Court. He is still active in raising his voice whenever environmental issues or the questions of safety and protection of minorities, especially Christians is involved.

Justice Pinto, born on February 1, 1956, is the fourth son of Late Benjamin and Concepta Pinto.  He was born in Mundkur village of Karkala taluk. He did his PUC studies at Pompei Junior College, Kinnigoli, Graduated in Science from St Philomena’s College, Puttur. He did his LL.B. graduation from Government Law College, Bombay in 1977. He, however, returned to Mangalore in 1978 for starting his legal practice and had handled a wide variety of cases upto Sessions Court level. He was one of the few leading lawyers of his time to serve as Amicus Curae for nine years in the Mangalore Sessions Court.

Instead of confining himself to Mangalore, Justice Pinto moved to Bangalore and started practicing in the High Court as well as in Trial Courts in 1990. He was appointed as Additional Public Prosecutor by the State Government in 1998. He has the distinction of serving as a Part-time Lecturer at St Agnes College, Mangalore; Pompei College, Kinnigoli; and even at St John’s Medical College, Bangalore for more than eight years.

As a leading lawyer well-versed in civil and criminal cases, he had written three books – Handbook for Munsiff & JMFC Examinations; Handbook for APP/AGP Examinations and Criminal Practice, Procedure and Forms – which are very popular with the younger generation of lawyers.

Hailing from the Konkani Catholic community, Justice Pinto was associated with several Konkani organizations in Bangalore as well as FKCA. He was the founder member, general secretary and president of Bangalore Konkani Catholic Sangh, Koramangala and also joint-secretary and legal advisor of FKCA. He was actively associated with the Bangalore Archdiocesan Prison Ministry and has been a panel member of Karnataka High Court Legal Services Authority besides the State Bar Council and is known for his free legal assistance to the poor litigants irrespective of caste and religions.

Justice Pinto is married to Maria Martin, who is working as a nurse in the Victoria Hospital, Bangalore. The couple has two daughters – Belmaru, an engineer, and Benzuta, a doctor – both of whom are married and well-settled. The Pinto family is known for the social service, especially helping the poor and needy.

The other Mangalorean to become the High Court judge is Bijoor Manohar, who was born on July 20, 1955, at Kundapur in the present Udupi district. After his B.A. degree studies from Bhandarkar’s Arts & Science College, Kundapur, in 1977, he was more on joining the banking service. However, his life took a turn when he met former Advocate General and senior member of Bangalore bar M R Janardhana, who persuaded him to become a lawyer by joining the Renukacharya Law College, Bangalore. He got his legal training under former High Court judge P Vishwanatha Shetty, also a Mangalorean. He was appointed Government Pleader and as Additional Government Advocate in 1999.

Justice Kalvachaiah Govindarajulu, hailing from Bellary, was born on April 2, 1953. He had served as the District and Sessions Judge in Bellary in 1993. Mr Justice Hosahalli Sheshadri Kempanna hails from Tumkur and was born on April 4, 1952. He was appointed as District and Sessions Judge in 1993. He was serving as Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bangalore, until his elevation as additional judge of state high court.

"The appointment of B V Pinto as the Additional Judge of Karnataka High Court is a singular honour for Mangalorean Konkani Catholics,’’ described F T R Colaso, while appreciating the dedication, hardwork and selfless social service of the new judge. ``I know the entire family quite well. They are always ready to help the poor,’’ said Valerian R Fernandes, who had served as President of BKCS when Pinto was the General Secretary. ``With his elevation as High Court judge, we lost an able person as President of BKCS, who had tendered his resignation on Thursday,’’  Fernandes said.

FKCA Chairman Charles Gomes felt the elevaton B V Pinto as Additional Judge of Karnataka High Court was a matter of great pride not only for the Konkani Catholic community but all Mangaloreans and more particularly the FKCA. ``He has been actively associated with all our activities so far. Even though he cannot continue to be associated with FKCA or his Konkani Catholic community anymore, we know we have a friend in the judiciary. We are privileged that he was part of our family. Let him progress and even reach the Supreme Court like former Chief Justice of State High Court Cyriac Joseph, who is also a Catholic. After the retirement of Justice Saldanha, there was a feeling that Catholics and Christian community does not have a representative in the judiciary. We are now happy that Justice Pinto fills this void,’’he said.

With scores of lawyers, family members, relatives and people from different walks of life lining up at his chambers to greet him, Justice Pinto was too hard-pressed for time to speak to anybody. ``I am grateful to almighty God and my family members, especially my wife, who has always stood by me. The greetings and well-wishes from all sections of society, especially Mangaloreans and Konkani Catholics, is a source of inspiration to me. I am simply overwhelmed,’’ Justice Pinto said while speaking to Daijiworld.

"I am bound by certain norms and cannot be associated with all activities that I used to involve myself as a lawyer. My role as a Judge is to uphold rule of law and interpret it impartially strictly in accordance with the statutes and constitutional provisions and see that Justice is done always. It is a great responsibility,’’ he said adding: ``Let me first settle down in my new role. We can speak leisurely later though I cannot say whether I will be able to give an interview.’’