Former Madras High Court judge and Supreme Court Senior Advocate Justice V. Sivagnanam (Retd.) has gone missing while travelling in Nepal with a group of Tamil pilgrims, prompting an urgent appeal for government help to trace him and bring him safely back to India.
According to the appeal submitted to the Chief Justice, Justice Sivagnanam was part of a group travelling in Nepal when he made a WhatsApp call to his wife in the early hours of August 26, 2026. No further communication has been received from him since then, raising serious concerns among his family, colleagues and the legal community.
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A group photograph taken inside the pilgrims' bus reportedly confirms his presence with the group. The family was later informed by people travelling in another bus that had been rescued near the Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal Border Outpost at Timure that Justice Sivagnanam's bus was approximately 100-200 metres away from theirs.
The circumstances have only heightened concerns about his whereabouts and safety, with the Delhi Tamil Advocates Association urging authorities to launch an immediate search and rescue operation.
Delhi Tamil Advocates Association writes to Chief Justice of India seeking urgent help to trace Justice V Sivagnanam (Retd.), Senior Advocate and former Madras High Court judge, untraceable in Nepal since a WhatsApp call to his wife on August 26; fellow pilgrims rescued near the… pic.twitter.com/xX8cWygY7F
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) August 30, 2026
The association has urged the Chief Justice to forward the appeal to the Government of India and other concerned authorities and to take all possible steps to locate Justice Sivagnanam, ascertain his safety and facilitate his return to India.
Justice Sivagnanam has had a distinguished judicial career spanning nearly 34 years. After his retirement from the Madras High Court, he was designated a Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court of India with effect from July 23, 2025.
The appeal was made on behalf of the Delhi Tamil Advocates Association under the guidance of its Patron President, Justice S. Nagamuthu (Retd.), Senior Advocate, and President P. V. Yogeswaran, Advocate-on-Record.
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The association said it remained deeply concerned and appealed for urgent intervention in the matter.
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