Former Supreme Court judge Justice Veeraswami Ramaswami passed away at the age of 96 at his residence in Chennai on Saturday morning following a massive cardiac arrest.

Justice Ramaswami was the first Supreme Court judge in India to face impeachment proceedings in 1991 due to allegations of financial mismanagement and misuse of office during his tenure as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

A parliamentary committee found evidence of excessive expenditure on his official residence. In 1993, an impeachment motion was introduced in the Lok Sabha and gained a two-thirds majority from voting members. However, Congress MPs abstained, causing the motion to fail.

Though he was not removed, the case set a precedent for judicial accountability in India’s Judicial history.

Justice Ramaswami was born on February 15, 1929. He completed his early education at Hindu High School, Srivilliputtur, followed by a bachelor's degree from American College, Madurai. He then pursued his LL.B. from Law College, Madras.

He enrolled as an advocate of the Madras High Court on July 13, 1953, practicing both civil and criminal law in appellate and original jurisdictions. He was appointed as a permanent judge of the Madras High Court on January 31, 1971. His judicial career continued to progress, and on November 12, 1987, he was transferred from the Madras High Court and appointed as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Justice Ramaswami was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India on October 6, 1989, where he served until his retirement on February 14, 1994.