Ex-Madras HC Judge Missing In Nepal After Floods: Advocates' Body Writes To CJI, Seeks Urgent Action

The Delhi Tamil Advocates Association has written a letter to Chief Justice Surya Kant seeking urgent intervention to trace former Madras High Court judge and Senior Advocate at Supreme Court, V Sivagnanam, who has reportedly gone missing in Nepal following devastating floods in the region.

In its letter to the CJI, the association said Sivagnanam was travelling with a group of Tamil pilgrims in Nepal when the group was caught in the flood situation. The association said he was last in contact with his wife through a WhatsApp call in the early hours of August 26, after which there has been no communication from him.

Ex-Judge Last Contacted Wife On Wednesday

“Justice Sivagnanam was travelling in Nepal as part of a group of Tamil pilgrims. A group photograph

taken in the bus records his presence with the group. In the early hours of 26 August 2026, he made a WhatsApp call to his wife, following which there has been no further communication,” the letter stated.

According to the letter, people travelling in another bus who were rescued near the APF Nepal Border Outpost at Timure informed the family that the former judge’s bus was only around 100-200 metres away from theirs when the incident occurred.

The association said a group photograph taken inside the bus also established that the lawyer was travelling with the pilgrims.

Advocates’ Body Seeks Govt Intervention

Expressing concern over his safety and whereabouts, the association urged CJI Surya Kant to forward the appeal to the Government of India and other concerned authorities and ensure that all possible steps are taken to locate him and facilitate his safe return to India.

The ex-judge served in the Indian judiciary for nearly 34 years before being designated a Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court with effect from July 23, 2025.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) is also likely to mention the matter before the Supreme Court on Monday, seeking the court’s attention to the ongoing efforts to trace the retired judge.

Nepal Floods

Nepal was hit by flash floods and landslides on August 26, leaving several areas inundated and disrupting transport and communication. The disaster has also affected parts of the Nepal-Tibet border, with flash floods and landslides reported in mountainous regions. The death toll from the floods crossed the 780-mark on Sunday. Rescue and relief operations are underway as authorities assess the damage and search for missing people.