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Updated May 4, 2025 · 21:41
Telangana News Updated May 4, 2025

Sitting judge of Telangana High Court passes away

Justice Maturi Girija Priyadarsini, a distinguished Telangana High Court judge, passed away unexpectedly at 61 after a brief illness. Her remarkable legal journey included multiple advanced degrees and over a decade of active legal practice across various legal domains. She was elevated to the High Court bench in 2022, becoming the 16th most senior judge and was set to retire next year. Her death is a significant loss to the Indian judicial system, particularly for the Telangana legal community.

Hyderabad, May 4

Telangana High Court's sitting judge Justice Maturi Girija Priyadarsini passed away here on Sunday following a brief illness. She was 61.

The judge breathed her last in the morning.

The mortal remains have been kept at her residence in Hafeezpet. The last rites will be performed on Monday at Mahaprasthanam, Jubilee Hills.

Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, other judges of the High Court and lawyers have condoled the death of Justice Priyadarsini. She took over as the judge of the Telangana High Court in 2022. She was 16th in seniority and was set to retire next year.

She was born to Maturi Appa Rao, a Commercial Tax Officer in Telangana, and Nagaratnam. Soon after Intermediate, she got married to Dr. K. Vijay Kumar and had two sons, Nikhil and Akhil.

Justice Priyadarsini pursued a Master of Arts in Sociology, a Master of Arts in Public Administration and a Master of Arts in Political Science from Andhra University. Later, she did her 3-year law course from N.B.M Law college, Visakhapatnam in 1995 and did her post graduation in Law (L.L.M) in Labour and Industrial Law from Andhra University in 1997. She stood first in Constitutional Law by securing the highest marks.

Justice Priyadarshini enrolled as an advocate on the rolls of the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh in September 1995. After enrollment as an advocate, she joined the office of P. Uma Bala and worked for about 7 years. She actively practised for more than 10 years at Vishakhapatnam and dealt with all types of cases in civil, criminal, labour law, and matrimonial matters and actively appeared in pro-bono cases referred by the District Legal Services Authority of Vishakhapatnam. She was later selected as a District Judge by direct recruitment and joined the judicial service as an Additional District Judge on November 3, 2008. Justice Priyadarshini worked at various places in the then combined state of Andhra Pradesh. She was elevated and sworn in as a judge of the High Court for the State of Telangana on March 24, 2022.

— IANS

Reader Comments

Rahul K.

Very sad news. Justice Priyadarsini had such an illustrious career - from topping Constitutional Law to serving in the judiciary with distinction. Her work in pro-bono cases shows her commitment to justice for all. May her soul rest in peace 🙏

Priya S.

What an inspiring journey! From being a homemaker to becoming a High Court judge - this shows how education and determination can break barriers. We need more such role models for women in India.

Suresh V.

The judiciary has lost a brilliant mind too soon. Her expertise in Labour Law was much needed in our country. Hope the High Court finds someone equally competent to fill this void.

Anjali R.

Heartbreaking to lose such a learned judge just a year before retirement. Her life story is a testament to balancing family and career - married young, raised children, yet pursued multiple degrees and excelled professionally. Salute to this iron lady!

Karthik N.

While we mourn her passing, we must also ask why our judges face such health issues. The workload in Indian courts is tremendous - maybe we need better work-life balance for our judiciary too. Just a thought.

Meena T.

Her journey from Visakhapatnam to the High Court bench is truly remarkable. As someone from Andhra, I'm proud she represented our region with such distinction. Om Shanti 🪔

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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