Kapil Sibal’s lawyer father Hira Lal dies in Chandigarh

Noted lawyer Hira Lal Sibal, father of Union Minister Kapil Sibal, passed away on Saturday after prolonged illness. He was 98.

Hira Lal breathed his last at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Centre after suffering a cardiac arrest early in the morning, hospital officials said. He had been admitted to the hospital on December 20 and was suffering from pneumonia.

He leaves behind four sons including Virender Sibal, Jitendar Sibal (both retired IAS officers), Kanwal Sibal (former IFS officer) and Kapil Sibal (Union Minister). He also has a daughter, Asha Nanda.

In his legal practice spanning 67 years, Hira Lal had served as Advocate General of Punjab twice and had turned down the offer to become a high court judge.

Interestingly, in 1945, Hira Lal had defended noted Urdu short story writer Saadat Hassan Manto in a case pertaining to indecent writing.

Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal expressed profound grief and sorrow over the demise of the legal luminary. In his condolence message, the CM described Hira Lal Sibal, recipient of the prestigious Padma Bhushan and Punjab Rattan awards, as an eminent jurist and an able administrator.

The lawyer was later cremated here with full state honours.

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