Karnataka Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa released the Kannada and English editions of Memorable Trials, Unforgettable Cases by former Karnataka High Court judge Justice H N Nagamohan Das at a programme in Shivamogga on 31 August 2026. The book, published by Jana Prakashana, presents key judicial experiences as a way to explain the values of the Indian Constitution to general readers. The launch highlighted the former judge’s continuing work on constitutional awareness, including his leadership of the Samvidhana Odu (Read the Constitution) campaign.
What Is Memorable Trials, Unforgettable Cases?
Memorable Trials, Unforgettable Cases is a new bilingual book that brings courtroom stories to a wider public in Kannada and English. It is written as a judicial memoir, where the author recounts trials and cases he found most instructive during his years on the bench and as an advocate, and uses them to illustrate how law interacts with everyday life. The central purpose is not to discuss legal technicalities alone, but to show how the Constitution of India, adopted on 26 January 1950, protects human values, fundamental rights, and democratic principles.
At the launch event, Justice Nagamohan Das described the Constitution as an embodiment of all human values and a guiding light for every citizen. He stressed that children should understand its significance early, at the school level itself. This approach matches the book’s focus on constitutional awareness, a theme he has pursued consistently after retirement. The narrative links specific cases to broader constitutional ideas such as equality, liberty, justice and fraternity mentioned in the Preamble, making abstract provisions relatable through real disputes.
The choice of two languages is deliberate. By releasing both Kannada and English editions together, the book reaches students, teachers, lawyers and general readers across Karnataka and beyond. It builds on the author’s earlier popular works on the Constitution for students and youth, including Samvidhana Odu, which was published in Kannada and aimed at simplifying constitutional concepts.
Why Bilingual Publishing Matters
Bilingual publishing widens access in a linguistically diverse state like Karnataka. A Kannada edition ensures that school and college students, government employees and rural readers can engage with constitutional ideas in their mother tongue, while the English edition connects with legal professionals, researchers and readers outside the state. Jana Prakashana, known for publishing progressive, affordable books in Kannada, has positioned this dual release to support classroom and library use as well as individual reading.
Who Is Justice H N Nagamohan Das?
Justice H N Nagamohan Das is a former judge of the Karnataka High Court, where he served for nine years and four months before retiring in February 2014. He first joined the High Court as a judge in October 2004 after a career as an advocate and later as a senior advocate in independent law practice. His tenure placed him within one of India’s oldest high courts, an institution central to protecting fundamental rights under Articles 214 to 231 of the Constitution.
After retirement, he has remained active in public life through writing, lectures and committee work focused on social justice and constitutional literacy.
From Bench to Books and Campaigns
The most visible part of his post-retirement work is the Samvidhana Odu (Read the Constitution) campaign, which encourages citizens, especially students, to read and understand the Constitution in simple language. His earlier book Samvidhana Odu, published with Kannada Sahithya Parishattu, offered a simplified introduction to the drafting of the Constitution, its parts and key legal terms. He has also written Reading the Constitution for School and College Students in both Kannada and English, published by Jana Prakashana, which is used as a guide for young readers and has been recommended in educational contexts.
His message has been consistent. He has said that the Indian Constitution reflects human values and that proper understanding of it can help resolve many national problems. He has often called for vigilance against misinterpretation of constitutional ideals and has emphasized that reservation, for example, should be understood as linked to fundamental rights and the vision of Dr B R Ambedkar.
Committees Led After Retirement
Justice Nagamohan Das has headed several expert panels for the Karnataka government:
| Committee / Commission | Purpose | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Expert Committee on Karnataka State Reservation and Internal Reservation | To study data on Scheduled Castes and recommend internal reservation classification, based on a comprehensive caste survey | Report submitted in 2025, widely referred to as the Nagamohan Das Committee Report |
| Committee on allegations of 40 percent commission in public works during the previous regime | To probe claims by the Karnataka State Contractors Association that bribes were demanded for project clearances | Constituted in August 2023 by the Public Works Department |
| Expert Committee on Rajyotsava Award selection guidelines | To draft transparent criteria for the state’s second highest civilian honour, the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award | Draft guidelines considered by government from 2016 onward |
These assignments show why the tag Nagamohan Das Committee and Nagamohan Das Commission appears often in public discussion. The 2025 internal reservation report in particular attracted wide attention, with Kannada and English versions, summaries and PDF circulations shared across the state.
Who Launched the Book and Where?
The book was launched by Madhu Bangarappa, Minister for School Education and Literacy and Sakala in the Government of Karnataka. The programme was held in Shivamogga on 31 August 2026, with the news reported on 1 September 2026. Shivamogga is both the minister’s home district and a centre of his political base.
Madhu Bangarappa is the son of former Karnataka Chief Minister Sarekoppa Bangarappa, who served as Chief Minister from 1990 to 1992. Born in Soraba taluk of Shivamogga district and an arts graduate from Bangalore University (1988), he first won the Sorab Assembly constituency in 2013 as a Janata Dal (Secular) candidate. He belongs to a prominent political family that also includes his elder brother Kumar Bangarappa, and his sister Geetha Shivarajkumar who is married to Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar of the Rajkumar family.
He joined the Indian National Congress in July 2021, won Sorab again in the 2023 Assembly elections by defeating his brother, and was inducted as Primary and Secondary Education Minister in May 2023 in the Siddaramaiah-led government. He continues as the district in charge minister for Shivamogga. At the launch, he praised Justice Das for using retirement to spread constitutional awareness and recalled his role in the Samvidhana Odu campaign.
Other guests present at the Shivamogga event included journalist Harshakumar Kugve, who spoke about the books, senior advocate Basappa Gowda, K P Sripal of the People’s Lawyers Guild, C S Shadakshari, president of the State Government Employees Association, and Dalit Sangharsha Samiti State convener M Gurumurthy.
About the Publisher: Jana Prakashana
Jana Prakashana is a Kannada publication house established by a group of like-minded friends with the aim of providing progressive thought books at affordable prices to all sections of society. Its name literally means People’s Publication. The publisher focuses on social justice, constitutional literacy, literature and popular education, and its books are widely available through its own website and major distributors such as SapnaOnline and Total Kannada.
The house has published several works by Justice Nagamohan Das, including titles on reservation, law and the Constitution. Examples include Nyayanga Olanota, Meesalati Bhrame Mattu Vastava, Samvidhana Odu: Vidhyarthi Yuvajanarigagi Kaipidi (a handbook for students and youth), and Reading the Constitution for School and College Students. These books are often priced between ₹60 and ₹200, keeping them accessible for students, which reinforces the goal of spreading constitutional awareness beyond legal circles.
Why This Book Matters: Judicial Experience Meets Constitutional Values
A judicial memoir such as this serves a different purpose from a formal law book. It translates complex legal reasoning into lived stories, helping readers see how courts balance evidence, procedure, precedent and constitutional principles. For students of law, political science and public administration, such accounts offer insight into how landmark interpretations of fundamental rights, directive principles and institutional checks are actually applied.
For the general public, the book connects courtroom outcomes to daily rights, such as protection against discrimination, access to justice and the importance of an independent judiciary. This is especially relevant in Karnataka, where high court judgments frequently influence governance, education and welfare policy. By documenting trials that left a lasting impression on the judge, the book preserves institutional memory and encourages readers to view the Constitution not as a distant legal text but as a practical document that shapes governance and protects human dignity.
The launch also reflects a broader trend in India of former judges engaging in public education after retirement, using accessible writing to bridge the gap between courts and citizens. In a state that has seen extensive public debate over reservation, contractors’ commission probes and award selection reforms, all areas where Justice Das has contributed as a committee head, his reflections carry added context and credibility.
Karnataka High Court at a Glance
Understanding the author’s institutional background helps place the book in context. The Karnataka High Court, formerly the Mysore High Court, traces its origin to the Chief Court of Mysore established on 28 May 1884 under Mysore Chief Court Regulation I of 1884 during the princely state of Mysore. After accession to the Indian Union in 1947, it continued as the High Court of the State of Mysore under the Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950, and was renamed the High Court of Karnataka after the state itself was renamed on 1 November 1973.
Its principal seat is in Bengaluru at the heritage Attara Kacheri building opposite the Vidhana Soudha, with permanent benches at Dharwad and Kalaburagi established in 2013 to improve access in northern Karnataka. The court exercises original, appellate and writ jurisdiction over civil, criminal and constitutional matters and supervises all subordinate courts in the state. Its sanctioned strength is 62 judges, and its decisions are binding on lower courts across Karnataka. The High Court functions under Articles 214 to 231 of the Constitution and operates under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, established in 1950 and headquartered in New Delhi.
Key Takeaways
- Karnataka Minister Madhu Bangarappa launched the Kannada and English editions of Memorable Trials, Unforgettable Cases in Shivamogga on 31 August 2026.
- The book is authored by former Karnataka High Court judge Justice H N Nagamohan Das and published by Jana Prakashana.
- The book focuses on constitutional awareness and explains human values and fundamental rights through real judicial experiences and landmark trials.
- At the launch, Justice Das said the Constitution of India is an embodiment of human values and should be taught at the school level.
- Justice Das served as a Karnataka High Court judge from October 2004 to February 2014 and now leads the Samvidhana Odu (Read the Constitution) campaign.
- He has headed key panels including the 2025 internal reservation committee and the 2023 probe into 40 percent commission allegations in public works.
