In today’s world, many people complain about delays and bias in the legal system. Some judges are even accused of letting criminals go free due to flawed legal arguments or political pressure. But history holds examples of judges who held justice above everything—even their own lives.
One such person was Judge Govinda Pillai, who lived in 18th-century Kerala. He served as a top judge in the royal court of Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma. Known for his knowledge of Sanskrit and fair judgments, Govinda Pillai led the royal court, known then as the Sadar Kodathy.
A major test of his integrity came when his own nephew, Padmanabha Pillai, was accused of raping and killing a young girl. Today, many judges would step back from such a case due to personal connection. But Judge Govinda Pillai took it up, studied all the evidence, and sentenced his nephew to death. The sentence was carried out.
But days later, new evidence surfaced. It turned out the nephew was completely innocent. The real criminal had escaped justice. Filled with guilt, Judge Govinda Pillai went to the king and confessed that he had wrongly ordered the death of an innocent man. He asked to be punished.
The king tried to excuse him, saying the error was unintentional. But the judge insisted on receiving punishment. The king then asked him to decide his own punishment. This would normally go against the legal rule: “No one should be a judge in their own case.” But Govinda Pillai was driven by his own sense of karma and justice—not by western legal norms.
The judge declared his sentence: both his legs should be cut off, and he should be hanged at the same place where his nephew had died. He also asked that his body remain hanging for three days so that people could curse him and spit on him. Shocked, the king followed his wish.
After his death, the area saw strange natural disasters. Astrologers said the souls of both the judge and his nephew were restless. Rituals were performed, and their spirits were laid to rest in two separate shrines. Judge Govinda Pillai’s soul was entombed at his ancestral home in Payyambally, while his nephew’s soul was honoured at Panayoor Temple in Thiruvalla.
Over time, the judge came to be known as Judge Ammavan (meaning “Judge Uncle”) and was given a small shrine inside the Cheruvally Devi Temple near the Kottayam-Pathanamthitta border. The land was originally gifted to the royal family’s trusted aide and was later developed into a sacred space for worshippers.
In 1978, descendants of the judge built a sanctum sanctorum in his honour. Now, people visit Judge Ammavan’s shrine to pray for justice. The shrine opens only at 8 pm daily, and devotees offer black cloth, tender coconut, betel leaves, areca nuts, and a sweet dish called ada (made with rice paste, jaggery, and coconut). Many believe that the judge’s spirit listens to innocent victims and fights for them from the spiritual realm.
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In today’s world, where courts are filled with complex arguments and never-ending cases, this story offers a refreshing example of courage and morality. While some modern judges are caught in scandals and corruption, like the recent case of a judge whose home had sacks of half-burnt cash, Judge Govinda Pillai stands as a symbol of conscience, responsibility, and real justice.
As philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once said, “Human justice is slow and often flawed, but divine justice needs no trial, no witnesses—it simply reveals the truth.” For hundreds of believers who pray to Judge Ammavan, divine justice may still be alive—hidden in the memory of a man who held truth above everything, even his own life.
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