Adv. Nilesh C. Ojha
Founder – Indian Bar Association
Advocate Nilesh C. Ojha is a passionate human rights activist who works relentlessly for awareness and protection of fundamental human rights. He is based at Mumbai and practices at Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court of India. His mission is to create a Humanist Global India.
Adv. Nilesh Ojha was born and brought up in Pusad, Yavatmal district of Maharashtra where he completed his B.E.(Electronics and Telecommunications). His journey from an Engineer to an advocate is indeed an epitome of how an adversity carries the seeds of prosperity within it!
Upon completion of B.E., Adv. Nilesh Ojha had his first job stint at a leading payments processing company. However, this turned out to be a short lived experience due to a strong entrepreneurial streak within him that constantly prodded him to start something of his own and be his own boss!
He chose to venture into the business of mineral water bottling and distribution, in partnership with one of his peers. His business acumen coupled with hard work and confidence turned his maiden venture into a remarkable success until one day when he was wronged by his very own business associates. He found himself embroiled in a legal tussle and realized that he had become a hapless victim of legal system, which was abused by his adversaries to their advantage. Seeing his own state of helplessness and the subsequent consequences of not being aware of one’s rights and not knowing how to initiate action in case of infringement of one’s fundamental rights, Adv. Nilesh Ojha vowed to fight back vehemently against the unjust treatment meted out to him. He resolved to make it his mission of life to fight against injustice, not only for himself but for a bigger cause of eliminating injustice heaped on people who have little or no access to legal aid and those who are from economically weaker sections of society. The journey of a human rights’ activist had just begun…
As a first step towards gearing up for his mission, Adv. Nilesh Ojha started reading law books and case laws extensively, to gain the knowledge of various laws and allied topics. He always had a special interest in the law of crimes and criminal law remains his favorite even today. While he continued reading law, he could sense an innate flair and passion for this subject. He was convinced that the unfortunate event in the past, where his close business associates had caused him tremendous hardship, had in fact taken him closer to the ‘calling’ of his life. His zeal and grasp for law did not go unnoticed by the lawyers whom he regularly met for discussion on various legal topics and issues. His deep interest in law combined with an ardent desire to work towards protection of human rights, encouraged him to go for formal education in law. He pursued and completed L.L.B from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad and he started his practice in Pusad initially. It did not take long time for him to emerge as a prominent name in the legal circles and a force to reckon with, at the Nagpur High Court which he frequented for his clients’ matters. As he advanced in his legal practice, he never lost the focus on his mission of establishing ethical governance, bringing positive reforms in our system and building a democracy in its purest essence. He has successfully built a strong team of lawyers and volunteers who share his vision and support him in his mission. Such teams are present at various locations like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Nagpur and also at district and taluka places in Maharashtra.
There is another aspect of this activist cum lawyer, which one cannot miss and that is his deep study and inclination towards spirituality which is evident from his instant quotes and references to verses from Holy Quran, Holy Bhagwad Geeta, Holy Bible and other religious texts and scriptures. He strongly believes that preserving and promoting ethical behavior is crucial as we march towards eliminating evil and crime from our society. In his efforts to simplify and communicate the messages explained in our holy texts, he has published the following two books in 2016 which he has co-authored with Mr. Q.S. Khan (author of ‘Law of Success for both the Worlds’):
- Bhagwad Geeta mein Ishwar ke aadesh
- Pavitra Ved aur Islam Dharm
Adv. Nilesh Ojha opines that knowledge multiplies when it is shared and hence he has always endeavored to disseminate his knowledge of law for the benefit of legal fraternity as well as for the common man. He has authored several books which are well received within the legal community and general public. His first book titled ‘पोलीस, नागरिक आणि मानवाधिकार क़ायदा’ (‘Police, Nagarik ani Manavadhikar Kayda’) was published in Marathi in 2008. Thereafter he published ‘Human Rights Manual’ in 2012, which focused on the law for getting bail. Due to overwhelming response to the first edition of this book, a revised edition was published in 2014. This second edition is presented in two volumes, titled as ‘How to Get Justice against Wrong Judgments and Police Atrocities’.
His much applauded treatise came in 2017 titled ‘How to take action against false affidavits & false cases (Law of Perjury).’ This book is a first of its kind that offers the model drafts of petitions/applications to be filed in the court in order to initiate action against dishonest litigants who create false evidences, distort the existing evidence on record and twist the material facts. The second edition of this book would be released soon.
Adv. Nilesh C. Ojha is also an anti corruption crusader and supports initiatives that aim at weeding out corruption from the system including the government offices, administrative agencies, police system, judiciary and likewise. He was the acting Chairman of the Maharashtra Chapter of Transparency International India (TII) in 2018– which is a global organization working towards eradication of corrupt practices in governance.
List of Books authored by Adv. Nilesh C. Ojha
| Sr. No. | Name of the Book | Year of Publication |
| 1. | Practical Guide to Law of Precedents & Procedures in Indian Courts | 2019 |
| 2. | ‘How to take action against false affidavits & false cases (Law of Perjury)’ | 2017 |
| 3. | Pavitra Ved aur Islam Dharm | 2016 |
| 4. | Bhagwad Geeta mein Ishwar ke aadesh | 2016 |
| 5. | How to Get Justice against Wrong Judgments and Police Atrocities. | 2014 |
| 6. | ‘Human Rights Manual’ – Law of Bails | 2012 |
| 7. | ‘पोलीस, नागरिक आणि मानवाधिकार क़ायदा’ (‘Police, Nagarik ani Manavadhikar Kayda’) | 2008 |