CHENNAI: Hello sir, Is this advocate Ramamoorthy? Were you the counsel for the labourer who was recently acquitted in the murder of a child?” After this exchange with five different Ramamoorthys, I eventually managed to track down his senior counsel.

Ramamoorthy and his senior, Krishna Prasad are legal aid lawyers. They help those who can’t help themselves. At least, that’s what their role is supposed to be, and in this case, they did it. With no means to hire a lawyer, the suspect stayed in jail for more than four years, until the duo got involved.

At the advocate chambers in Madras High Court, Prasad was explaining the case when he asked, “You told me you tried contacting Ramamoorthy, my junior!”

He explained that Ramamoorthy did the initial paperwork in this case. He then recalled how the young advocate arrived from a village near Gingee in Villupuram district to the chambers in traditional wear and his whole family was present when he wore the lawyer’s robes for the first time.

Before I could ask him, Prasad told me, “Ramamoorthy is no more. He took his life last year after a domestic dispute.”

It would’ve been Ramamoorthy’s first win as a lawyer. Rest in peace, winner!

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