K. P. Lakshmana Rao

Diwan Bahadur Sir Kasaragod Patanashetti Lakshmana Rao (15 December 1887 - ?) was an Indian lawyer who served as a judge of the Madras High Court.

Early life

Lakshmana Rao was born in Madras on 15 December 1887 in a Goud Saraswat Brahmin family which traced its origins to South Canara.^[1] Lakshmana Rao had his education in Madras and graduated from the Presidency College, Madras.^[1] On graduating, Lakshmana Rao studied law at the Madras Law College and enrolled as a vakil.^[1]

Career as judge

In 1930, Lakshmana Rao was appointed acting judge of the Madras High Court. His appointment was confirmed after a few years. One of the important cases heard by him in his tenure was the Lakshmikanthan Murder Case. He was knighted in the 1946 Birthday Honours list, a year before India's independence.^[2]

Other activities

Lakshmana Rao also played cricket and was a fast medium bowler for the Madras Cricket Club.^[3] In 1936, he was elected to the club, one of the first Indians to be accepted and in 1947, he became one of the club's office-bearers.^[4][5]

Lakshmana Rao, however, was more popular as a lawn tennis player and was a part of the team which won the doubles' title in the first South Indian Lawn Championship Tournament held in Madras in 1917.^[6][7]