Goolam Essaji Vahanvati

Goolamhussein Essaji Vahanvati (1949-2014) was an Indian senior counsel who served as the 11th Attorney General for India. His first term in office began in June 2009 and was for three years.

Early life Goolam was born to Essaji Vahanvati, a lawyer, in a Dawoodi Bohra family. He represented Maharashtra state in the public interest litigation petition filed in the fake stamp paper scam. He successfully defended the challenge to the reservation for OBCs in higher education. He appeared as amicus curiae in the MP Local Area Development Scheme and for Union of India/CBI in the matter relating to power of court to suo motu transfer investigation to the CBI without prior consent of the State government concerned. The International Cricket Council appointed him to hold an inquiry into the allegations of racism in Zimbabwe along with High Court Judge Steven Majied in September 2004. He was appointed Single Member Commission to inquire into allegations of racial abuse on South African cricketers during the South African tour of Australia in December 2005.

In April 2013, Vahanvati's role in government came under scrutiny after allegations of impropriety and coercion emerged from his junior law officer, Harin P. Raval, who resigned from the post of Additional Solicitor General as a result.

In January 2014, Government of India, along with others, his name was forwarded in the category of "eminent jurist" to the Lokpal selection panel.

Death He died on 2 September 2014 in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest. On 11 September 2014, a full court reference, a commemorative event involving all judges of the court and lawyers, including the senior officer of the bar was held in the Chief Justice of India's court.