Former Supreme Court Judge Justice S. Rathinavel Pandian passed away at Chennai.
He was a Judge of the Supreme Court of India from 1988 to 1994.
After retirement as judge of the apex court, he was appointed chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes from 2006 to 2009
In August 1971, Pandian was appointed State Public Prosecutor in the High Court of Madras, a post he held until he was elevated as judge in 1974.
He served as Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court twice in 1988.
He authored many significant Judgments including State of Haryana and Ors vs Ch. Bhajan Lal and SR Bommai Vs Union of India and Supreme Court Advocates-On-Record Association and another
Recognising his meritorious contribution in the field of law and human rights, Pandian was presented the Justice VR Krishna Iyer Award in 2016.
In the apex court, he was part of a Bench that decided the famous Indra Sawhney case, in which the constitutionality of reservations to Backward Classes was upheld in 1992.
After his retirement in 1994, Justice Pandian headed the fifth Central Pay Commission