Prashant Bhushan Biography

Soon Prashant Bhushan was born on 15th October 1956. He is the oldest of the four children of Shanti Bhushan and Kumud Bhushan.

His father is a lawyer-activist and a former Union Law Minister in the Morarji Desai government. Soon Bhushan, who briefly attended IIT Madras and Princeton University has a degree in law from Allahabad University.

While still a student, Bhushan wrote The Case that Shook India, a book on the case that set aside Indira Gandhi’s election in 1974.

Prashant Bhushan is married to Deepa Bhushan, a former lawyer. Later Deepa gave up her career, as she could not stand the “uncouth behaviour in the courts” and the long wait for the cases to be disposed off.

The couple have three sons. The family lives in Shanti Bhushan’s house in Noida.

Prashant Bhushan Advocate

Later Bhushan was drawn to public activism, influenced by his father. His main areas of interest have been human rights, environmental protection and accountability of the public servants.

He is associated with various organisations including the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and Transparency International (India).

Later he is also the convenor of the Working Committee of the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Judicial Reforms.

Bhushan states that he has taken up about 500 cases dealing with “good causes”. His family background allowed him to work on a pro-bono basis.

His critics have accused him of being a self-righteous publicity-seeker who pursues sensationalist cases, and an anarchist.

Later in 1990, he successfully got the criminal liability aspect in the Bhopal gas tragedy reopened by SC, by challenging the settlement in the case of compensation to the victims.

This reopened the case against the former Chairman of Union Carbide Corporation Warren Anderson(now deceased). Bhushan assisted the Narmada Bachao Andolan activists opposed to the Sardar Sarovar Dam

Bhushan is against death penalty, and spoke against the hanging of Ajmal Kasab, the lone captured terrorist in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Later along with Nitya Ramakrishnan, he was the counsel for the Banned documentary December 13,which is a reconstruction of the events that led to the attacks on Parliament, based on the chargesheet filed by the special police cell

Prashant Bhushan AAP

Later in 2010, after media highlighted high-profile cases like Commonwealth Games scam and Adarsh scam there were a series of anti-corruption demonstrations in India.

An anti-corruption crusade which included a demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill took place and became known as the India Against Corruption movement. Prashant Bhushan was one of the several activists who participated in the anti-corruption crusade.

In 2012, he co-founded the Aam Aadmi Party, stating that the other political parties were corrupt.
Bhushan accused BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of being corrupt and a “puppet” of Reliance Industries.

He also accused RSS of supporting terror activities, and criticised BJP for its links with the RSS.
Before the 2015 Delhi elections, Bhushan accused party’s chief Arvind Kejriwal of selecting candidates of his own choice.

After the elections, on 4 March 2015, Party member voted out Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav out of Political Affairs Committee of Aam Aadmi Party for alleged anti-party activities and for working toward the party’s defeat in the Delhi elections.

Both Bhushan and Yadav denied the charges. On 28 March 2015, AAP leadership dropped them from the National Executive Council of the AAP following a vote.

He and Yadav then formed a new political movement called Swaraj Abhiyan. In April 2015, AAP’s disciplinary committee expelled them from the party.

Prashant Bhushan Fees

Later Bhushan states that he has taken up about 500 cases dealing with “good causes”, as his family background allowed him to work on a pro-bono basis for such cases: according to him, he effectively spends only 25 per cent of his time on paid cases, charging 5 per cent of what other lawyers charge.

Prashant Bhushan Caste

He hails from the community of Rajvanshi Agarwals of western parts of UP, particularly in the region of Meerut.

Prashant Bhushan Books

The case that shook India. Vikas Pub. House. p. 294. ISBN 0-7069-0594-6.
Bofors, the selling of a nation. Vision Books. p. 275. ISBN 81-7094-066-4.