Harish Salve – Biography

Profile

Harish Salve is a prominent Indian Lawyer and Senior Advocate who has made

significant impact in the field of Law. He has served as the Solicitor General of India and has

represented the country in various International Legal matters. He is known for his expertise

in constitutional, commercial and taxation laws and primarily practiced at the Supreme Court

of India, various high courts and in international arbitration, as counsel or as an adjudicator.

He has been awarded one of India’s highest awards - the Padma Bhushan. He had been

appointed as a Queen’s Counsel for the courts of England and Wales.

Family and upbringing

Harish Salve was born into a Marathi family on 22nd June, 1955. He was born into a

rich family of high social standing and grew in a multi-religious family with a liberal

secularism at his home. Some of Harish’s hobbies are listening music and teaching. He also

enjoys playing the piano. He is passionate about forests and nature. His Father, N.K.P. Salve,

was a Chartered Accountant and prominent politician of the Indian National Congress.

N.K.P. Salve was also a president of BCCI from 1982 to 1985. His mother Ambriti Salve,

was a doctor. His grandfather, P.K. Salve, was a successful criminal lawyer and his great

grandfather was a subordinate judge.

Harish Salve has been married three times, to different women from different

backgrounds. His first wife was Meenakshi, whom he married in 1982. They had two

daughters, Sakshi and Saaniya. They divorced in June 2020, after 38 years of marriage. His

second wife was Caroline Brossard, a London-based artist, whom he met at an art event.

Before marrying Caroline, Harish Salve had converted to Christianity. This conversion

occurred two years prior to their wedding. They married in October 2020, in a simple

1
ceremony at a church in London. They separated in 2022, after less than two years of

marriage. His third and current wife is Trina, a woman of Afghan origin and Muslim faith,

who lives in the UK. They married in September 2023, in a private ceremony in London,

attended by several celebrities and businessmen.

Education and Career turning point

Harish did his schooling at St. Francis De’Sales High School, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Thereafter completed his graduation in Commerce from Nagpur University in 1975, Salve

initially aspired to become an engineer, but as he grew up, his interest shifted towards

Chartered Accountancy and he became Chartered Accountant from ICAI, Mumbai in 1978.

This change was influenced by his father, who was also pursuing a career in the same field.

Later, his father started working only on income-tax matters, which led to his introduction to

Nani Palkhivala, who was working with Harish's father at that time. This experience

significantly influenced Harish Salve, making him more interested in income-tax matters,

which ultimately led him to pursue a career as a lawyer specializing in the field. He

completed his LLB from Nagpur University in 1980.

Harish Salve learnt the nuances of advocacy under Nanhi Palkhivala, who was

considered one of the finest constitutional lawyers in India. He assisted Palkhivala as junior

in important cases like the famous Minerva Mills case, which upheld the basic structure

doctrine of the Constitution. Harish Salve was advised by Nanhi Palkhivala to join the

chambers of Soli Sorabjee, another renowned lawyer and former Attorney General of India,

as a junior. Salve followed his advice and worked with Sorabjee from 1980 to 1986 and

learnt the art of advocacy from him. In 1992, he became a senior advocate at the Supreme

Court of India, after being designated by the Delhi High Court. Salve was appointed by the

Supreme court in some cases, mostly relating to preservation of the environment. Soli

2
Sorabjee was instrumental in Harish Salve’s appointment as the Solicitor General of India,

when Sorabjee was the Attorney General of India. Salve, at the age of 43, served as the

Solicitor General from 1st November 1999 to 3rd November 2002, and worked closely with

Sorabjee on many important cases. While working as a lawyer for the Indian government, he

handled some significant cases such as the first anti-dumping case, the first case of

privatization of PSUs, the WTO negotiations, the electricity reforms, etc. Following the

completion of his initial three-year term in 2002, the Indian government extended an offer for

him to be nominated for a second three-year term. However, he declined the offer by citing

some personal issues.

Noteworthy Cases and Clients

In 2002, the Supreme Court of India designated Harish Salve as Amicus Curiae,

where he played a crucial role in overseeing the progress of investigations and trials related to

the Gujarat riot cases. In the following year, Salve took on the case of Bilkis Bano, a survivor

of the Gujarat Riots. Acting under the guidance of the National Human Rights Commission

(NHRC), he made a formal appeal to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a renewed

inquiry into the case. Subsequently, he advocated for the trial to be moved from Gujarat to

Mumbai. Notably, this was the only case associated with the Gujarat riots that saw a new

investigation led by the CBI.

Starting from 2011, Salve provided legal representation to Keshub Mahindra in

relation to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy case. He also offered legal assistance to the Delhi Police

during their midnight operation against supporters of Baba Ramdev. In the Aarushi-Hemraj

Double Murder case, Salve acted as a defense counsel. He represented Ratan Tata, the

chairman of the Tata Group, in the Supreme Court, advocating for an investigation into the

3
unauthorized disclosure of his phone conversations with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and

for the protection of his privacy rights.

In 2012, Harish Salve represented Vodafone in a tax dispute worth $2.5 billion with

the Indian government. The case was initially lost in the Bombay High Court, but Salve

successfully appealed the decision in the Supreme Court. Despite this victory, the Indian

government reintroduced the tax claim against Vodafone by retrospectively amending the

Income Tax Act. In response, Vodafone initiated arbitration proceedings under the India-

Netherlands Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) in 2014, with Salve acting as an arbitrator. In

2020, the tribunal ruled in Vodafone’s favor, stating that India had breached the BIT by

imposing retrospective tax.

In 2013, Salve acted as legal counsel for Daichii Sankyo, a Japanese pharmaceutical

firm, in an arbitration case against the Singh Brothers. The arbitration tribunal ruled in favor

of Daichii Sankyo in 2016, awarding them Rs 3,500 crore in damages. In the same year, the

Singapore government appointed Salve to the Singapore International Commercial Courts

Committee. He was later also named a member of the Court of Arbitration of the Singapore

International Arbitration Centre. Salve is a member of both the London Court of International

Arbitration and the Permanent Court of International Arbitration (where he was nominated by

India). In July 2013, he was admitted as a member of the English Bar and joined the

Blackstone Chambers.

In 2015, Harish represented Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case. In this case, a

car accident led to one person’s death and injuries to four others. Salman Khan had initially

been sentenced to five years in jail. However, Khan was acquitted of all charges for the 2002

hit-and-run and drunk-and-drive case following the Bombay High Court’s decision in

December 2015. In this year, Harish Salve also appeared for the State of Tamil Nadu in the

4
Supreme Court in the Mullaperiyar Dam case. He assisted the Supreme Court as amicus

curiae in the case of Janet Jeyapaul v. SRM University.

Harish Salve represented India as the lead counsel at the International Court of Justice

in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav in May 2017. He argued that Jadhav’s trial was unfair and

violated his rights under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. He also requested

provisional measures to stay Jadhav’s execution until a final verdict was reached. In 2019, the

ICJ ruled in India’s favor, ordering Pakistan to review Jadhav’s case and grant him consular

access. The ICJ also ordered that Jadhav’s death sentence should remain suspended. Despite

this ruling, as of my last update in 2021, Jadhav remains in custody in Pakistan. Though he is

one of the highest paid lawyers in India and is regarded as one of the most eminent and

influential lawyers in India and abroad, Salve accepted only One Rupee as his fee for

handling this case stating it was a service to the nation and out of respect for the former

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. In 2017, he represented Mukesh Ambani, the

chairman of Reliance Industries, in a PIL filed by Arvind Kejriwal and others alleging

irregularities in the KG-D6 gas block deal. In this year, Narendra Modi considered him as the

first choice for the role of Attorney General but Harish turned down the offer due to his

commitments.

In 2018, Salve represented Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the director of Padmaavat, in a PIL

filed by Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena seeking a ban on the release of the movie. In

2019, he represented the Union of India in a PIL filed by Association for Democratic

Reforms (ADR) seeking a stay on the implementation of electoral bonds scheme, raising

concerns about transparency in election funding. In 2020, he represented the Union of India

in a PIL filed by Prashant Bhushan and others. The PIL challenged the appointment of

Ranjan Gogoi as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. Harish Salve represented Tata

Sons in the case against Cyrus Mistry in the year 2020. Salve argued against the

5
reinstatement of Mistry as the Chairperson of Tata Sons. He contended that Mistry had

walked away and later wrote a stinker. He also made arguments against the National

Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s (NCLAT) direction to reinstate Cyrus Mistry as

Company Chairman. The Supreme Court, hearing Salve’s arguments, ruled in favor of Tata

Sons.

In 2021, Harish Salve appealed to the Supreme Court, requesting recusal from his role

as the amicus curiae appointed to assist the court in its Suo Motu proceedings concerning

the Indian government’s management of the COVID-19 crisis. His decision was prompted by

a perceived conflict of interest arising from his close friendship with the Chief Justice of

India.

Beyond the above-mentioned cases, Harish Salve has been involved in various other

several high-profile cases. Unforgettable developments which involved Harish Salve from the

year 2020 that will echo through time are The Pro-Bono Offer, Battling for Indian Banks

against defaulting borrowers, Representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, The Amazon-

East India Company Comparison in the Future Retail-Reliance Deal, On representing

Reliance Jio and Reliance Communication in the AGR case, On recommending Reliance

Jio’s Optical Fibre network to the Supreme Court, For Facebook against the Delhi Assembly

and its Peace and Harmony Committee, and for Arnab Goswami, challenging the Bombay

HC’s refusal of bail.

Controversies

Harish Salve legal journey has not been devoid of controversies. In 2009, some

activists and lawyers questioned his impartiality and suitability for the position of Amicus

Curiae and that he was biased in favour of the state government and its officials due to his

close association with the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his government. In 2011, he

6
was accused of lobbying for Eros Energy by using his influence as the amicus curiae in the

Gujarat riots case, helping them in getting clearance and approval to establish a 25 MW

power plant in Gujarat. In a high-profile case in 2021 involving the distribution of oxygen,

vaccines and medicines across the country amid rising Covid cases, he opted out as an

‘amicus curiae’ after facing criticism from other lawyers. He faced criticism for inviting Lalit

Modi, a fugitive businessman who is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate for money

laundering and fraud cases, to his own third wedding in London.

Critique

In my personal opinion, being a lawyer is a challenging profession, especially when

handling cases involving sensitive, complex, or controversial issues. Fame and recognition

for defending clients come hand in hand with criticism, controversy, and risks. Harish Salve

is a man of integrity, intellect and innovation. He has denied and successfully defended

himself against all the allegations and maintained his reputation as one of the top

lawyers in India.

Renowned lawyers have shaped history, challenged norms, and faced ethical

dilemmas. Whether admired or criticized, they all share a common legacy: shaping the world

of law and extending their influence beyond its boundaries. Harish Salve’s remarkable

achievements in the field of law and justice have left an indelible mark on the legal

landscape, and will continue to inspire generations to come.

References

1. Starsunfolded.com – Harish Salve Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography& More

2. blackstonechambers.com – Harish Salve KC

3. Web.archive.org – The Hindu Online edition of India’s National Newspaper - Article

dated 30th Oct, 2002 – Harish Salve declines second term

7
4. The Hindustan Times - Article dated 8 th May 2015 – Harish Salve : The man who

saved Salman Khan from going to jail

5. Twocircles.net - Article dated 24th May, 2017 – The curious case of Harish Salve and

the new debate of nationalism

6. businesstoday.in - Article dated 5th Sep, 2023 - 'Who's protecting whom…':

Opposition parties criticise Centre over Lalit Modi's presence at Harish Salve

wedding

7. economictimes.indiatimes.com - Article dated 26th Mar, 2021 - Cyrus Mistry: Tata-

Mistry case: Supreme Court rules in favour of Tata Group, junks appeals of Cyrus

Mistry camp

8. edurev.in - Famous cases of Harish Salve - Legal Reasoning for CLAT

9. Ndtv.com – Article date 23rd Apr, 2021 – Top Lawyer Harish Salve exits Supreme

Court case: “Don’t Want Slideshow”

10. Lawinsider.in – Article dated 30th Dec 2020 – Harish Salve