The Good Fight

Like a modern day gladiator, Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy tangles daily with beasts like patriarchy, censorship and corporate callousness. She tells Anindita Ghosh why she’s in the ring and which victories have meant the most.

- Anindita Ghosh

Like it or not, the Indian legal community is mostly male, the successful amongst them are often elderly. So when a dynamic young lawyer wins several high profile cases, everyone sits up and takes notice. Over the last few years, Karuna Nundy, a graduate of Cambridge and Columbia University, has represented the survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984, fought for free speech online, and won damages for the differently abled Jeeja Ghosh who was off loaded from a SpiceJet flight. The Supreme Court lawyer is also committed to women’s rights: she’s helped draft the Womanifesto, a bill of rights for women in Delhi, was involved in the framing of the new anti-rape bill after the Delhi gang rape case, and has been vocal about changing the legal stance on marital rape. We spoke to Nundy about her most challenging cases and the issues she is passionate about.

Was it always your dream to be a Supreme Court lawyer?