Prashant Bhushan (born 15 October 1956) is an Indian lawyer and activist who practises in the Supreme Court. He is the country’s most prominent public interest litigator, having argued several hundred cases, most without a fee, on corruption, the environment, civil liberties and the accountability of judges. He was a leader of the 2011 anti-corruption movement and a founder of the Aam Aadmi Party, from which he was expelled in 2015.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Prashant Bhushan |
| Born | 15 October 1956, Delhi, India |
| Age | 70 |
| Occupation | Lawyer, activist |
| Known for | Public interest litigation; Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms |
| Education | University of Allahabad (LL.B.) |
| Father | Shanti Bhushan |
| Spouse | Deepa Bhushan |
| Children | 3 sons |
Early Life
Bhushan is the eldest of four children of Shanti Bhushan, the lawyer who won the election case against Indira Gandhi in 1975 and was Law Minister in the Janata government. Prashant briefly studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and then philosophy of science at Princeton University, leaving both without a degree, before taking his law degree at Allahabad. While still a student he wrote The Case That Shook India, an account of the Indira Gandhi election case; a later book examined the Bofors affair.
Legal Career
He began practice in the Supreme Court in 1983 and soon moved almost entirely to public interest work, often for the Centre for Public Interest Litigation and Common Cause. His early cases concerned the Bhopal gas victims and the Narmada dams, where he represented the movement led by Medha Patkar.
His best-known cases came later. In 2011 the court struck down the appointment of the Central Vigilance Commissioner on his petition. In 2012 it cancelled 122 telecom licences issued in the 2G spectrum allocation, and in 2014 it cancelled more than two hundred coal block allocations, in both instances ordering that natural resources be sold by auction. He appeared for the petitioners who challenged electoral bonds, the scheme for anonymous donations to political parties, which the court declared unconstitutional in February 2024. Other petitions, including one seeking an inquiry into the Rafale aircraft purchase, were dismissed.
He is a convenor of the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms and has repeatedly alleged corruption in the higher judiciary. In August 2020 the Supreme Court held him guilty of contempt for two tweets about the Chief Justice and the court’s record. He refused to apologise, saying an insincere apology would be contempt of his conscience, and was fined one rupee.
Activism and Politics
He was a core member of India Against Corruption and sat with his father on the joint committee that drafted the Lokpal Bill in 2011 during the fast of Anna Hazare. He helped found the Aam Aadmi Party in 2012 with Arvind Kejriwal. After he and Yogendra Yadav criticised the concentration of power in the party, both were expelled in April 2015; they went on to form Swaraj Abhiyan and the party Swaraj India. In October 2011 he was assaulted in his chamber by men angered by his remarks on Kashmir.
Personal Life
He is married to Deepa Bhushan, a former lawyer, and they have three sons. He lives in Noida and is known for an unhurried courtroom manner and for funding much of his litigation himself.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Prashant Bhushan born?
Prashant Bhushan was born on 15 October 1956 in Delhi, India and is 70 years old.
What is Prashant Bhushan known for?
Known for: Public interest litigation; Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms.
Featured image: Prashant Bhushan in June 2015. Photo by Swaraj Abhiyan, licensed under CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
