Harish Salve, India’s most expensive lawyer, now charging Re 1 to free Kulbhushan Jadhav at ICJ, always wanted to be a CA

Harish Salve is India’s most successful and most expensive lawyer and many of us can’t even afford his legal fees. Salve won hearts when he led India’s charge against Pakistan at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and what warmed everyone’s hearts was he charged just Re 1 for it.

Salve, 61, who has a client list featuring Ambanis, Tatas including Ratan Tata, Vodafone and Mittals, had his tryst with legal career when he assisted his father in 1975 in Dilip Kumar’s case, according to the book Legal Eagles, which chronicles his life before he became successful.

As a young boy, Salve never wanted to become a lawyer. Astonishing enough, Salve, who at one time also aspired to an engineer, always thought of pursuing chartered accountancy.

“My father, however, had given up accountancy and did only income tax matters. This brought him in close proximity to Nani Palkhivala-perhaps the greatest advocate the country has ever known,” said Salve.

Born in Nagpur, Salve at one time was studying law and chartered accountancy simultaneously. “My grandfather was a successful criminal lawyer. My father, N.K.P. Salve, was an eminent chartered accountant practising in Nagpur. My mother, Ambriti Salve, was a doctor. So at a very early age, I imbibed professional qualities and values from the two professionals at home,” he said.

Apart from being professional, Salve had love for Bollywood too, especially Dilip Kumar.

The story does not end here; here are some interesting insights into Salve’s life from The Legal Eagles: