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Bela M Trivedi is an Indian advocate who was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court of India on 31 August 2021.
Wiki/Biography
Bela Mandhurya Trivedi was born on Friday, 10 June 1960 (age 61 years; as of 2021) in Patan, Gujarat. Her zodiac sign is Gemini. Due to her father’s transferable judicial service, she did her schooling at different schools. Thereafter, she attended The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat. After completing her Bachelor of Commerce, she pursued L.L.B.
Family
Her father served as a judge of City Civil and Sessions Court in Ahmedabad.
Career
On 18 September 1983, Bela M Trivedi enrolled as an advocate. On 10 July 1995, she was appointed as a judge of the City Civil and Sessions Court, Ahmedabad. She served as a law secretary to the Gujarat Government from 2003 to 2006. She was also a member of the General Council for Gujarat National Law University. Other positions she served include Registrar (Vigilance) at the High Court of Gujarat, Resident Legal Advisor for the Government of Gujarat, and Special Judge – Serial Bomb blast matters.
Judge of Gujarat High Court
On 17 February 2011, she was appointed as an additional judge of the High Court of Gujarat. For the position, she was nominated by the former CJI S. H. Kapadia and appointed by the former president of India Pratibha Patil. She served the position till 26 June 2011 after which she was appointed as an additional judge in the Rajasthan High Court. On 9 February 2016, she was reappointed as a judge in the High Court of Gujarat. She was nominated for the position by former CJI T. S. Thakur and appointed by Pranab Mukherjee. She served as a judge in the Rajasthan High Court till 30 August 2021.
Judge of Rajasthan High Court
On 27 June 2011, she relocated to Jodhpur, where she served as an additional judge in the Rajasthan High Court. She was appointed as a permanent judge of the Rajasthan High Court on 6 February 2013. For the position, she was nominated by S. H. Kapadia and appointed by Pratibha Patil.
Judge of Supreme Court of India
In August 2021, a prominent decision was taken by the collegium headed by CJI N. V. Ramana, who recommended the names of three women for the appointment of judges of the Supreme court of India, including Justice Bela M Trivedi. On 31 August 2021, Bela M Trivedi, along with eight other judges, took the oath of office to the Supreme Court of India. For the first time in Indian history, nine new Supreme Court judges took oath in one go. With three women, Justice B. V. Nagarathna, Justice Bela M Trivedi, and Justice Hima Kohli, administering the oath of office, the apex court obtained four sitting women judges, beating the previous high of three sitting women judges.
(Left to Right) Justice Bela Trivedi, Justice Hima Kohli, CJI NV Ramana, Justice Indira Banerjee, and Justice BV Nagarathna during the swearing-in ceremony of nine SC judges in New Delhi
Notable Judgements
- The Surat Parsi Panchayat Board v. Union Of India. (2021): On 25 July 2021, a division bench headed by Hon’ble Ms Justice Bela M Trivedi dismissed the petition filed by the Surat Parsi Panchayat Board that sought to dispose of the dead bodies of Parsees, who died due to coronavirus outbreak, as per the Zoroastrian tradition instead of cremating them. In the ritual of Dokhmenashini, Parsees place the corpse at a height allowing it to decompose under the sun and to be eaten by scavenger birds. The court held that the protocol to dispose of bodies via cremation did not violate the fundamental right to religion of the Parsi community and directed it to follow the novel coronavirus guidelines.
- Jagrut Auto Rickshaw Drivers…vs State Of Gujarat (2021): On 23 July 2021, a division bench headed by Hon’ble Ms Justice Bela M Trivedi dismissed the petition moved by Jagrut Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union and Ahmedabad Railway Station Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union, claiming financial assistance from the government of Gujarat under the Atma Nirbhar Gujarat Scheme. The auto-rickshaw drivers’ union asserted that the lockdown and other measures to curb the Covid-19 pandemic had adversely affected their livelihood.
- Akrambhai Shaukatbhai Posti vs State Of Gujarat (2021): On 15 January 2021, a division bench headed by Justice Bela M Trivedi withheld the bail of a habitual offender, who was accused of various offences punishable under The Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act. The court stated,
It is needless to say that the animals, like the human beings have the capability of comprehending the physical and mental pain and that they do feel severity of the physical harm inflicted on them.”
- Jigneshkumar Manubhai Patel vs District Collector, Bharuch (2020): On 10 December 2020, a division bench headed by Hon’ble Ms Justice Bela M Trivedi ordered the Bharuch district authorities to expeditiously process the conversion process of a 32-year-old Hindu man who wished to convert to Islam. The Petitioner Jignesh Patel claimed that Bharuch’s collector had withheld his application for more than a year.
Salary
Rs 2.50 lakh
Facts/Trivia
- When Bela M Trivedi was appointed as a judge of the City Civil and Sessions Court, Ahmedabad, her father was also serving as a judge in the same court. Therefore, The Limca Book of Indian Records highlighted the event by featuring the cover story titled “Father-daughter judges in the same court” in its 1996 edition.
- In her farewell speech at the High Court of Gujarat, Bela M Trivedi revealed that she enrolled herself in L.L.B without any serious thought of practising law.
- When Bela M Trivedi was serving as a judge in the Gujarat HC, she received some anonymous calls and messages regarding a case that was listed before her in the court. During the 45-second call, the caller referred to a criminal case about a man who sought anticipatory bail for alleged charges of provoking a mob to counteract the police.