SINGAPORE, Dec 24 — Activist lawyer Ravi Madasamy, widely known as M. Ravi, was discovered dead in the early hours of December 24.

Police have classified the case as an unnatural death, according to reporting by The Straits Times.

Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, who had represented Ravi in past cases, said he was shocked and saddened.

“He has had his struggles but was always true to the cause he fought with all his heart. The cases he argued has helped shape constitutional law in Singapore. He has contributed to and will be missed by the legal profession,” Thuraisingam said.

Lawyer Shashi Nathan also paid tribute to Ravi, describing him as a man who made an impact on the legal field.

“Ravi was often divisive and went against the grain. But deep down I always sensed he had a good heart and wanted the best for his clients. He was fearless in his advocacy and would often push the envelope,” Nathan said.

Ravi, 56, was one of seven siblings and studied law in England after completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the National University of Singapore in 1993.

He began practising law in 1997 and became a controversial figure, with courts noting his repeated disciplinary issues.

In 2005, Ravi shared with reporters that his father, who passed away in 2003, struggled with alcoholism and spent much of his life behind bars.

His mother, a construction labourer, died in 2000 at the age of 59.

Ravi was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2006.

Over two decades, he faced penalties ranging from fines to suspensions, including two previous suspensions from practice.

The Court of Three Judges eventually struck him off the rolls in connection with two separate matters.

In 2020, he posted “false and unwarranted attacks” on Facebook against then President Halimah Yacob, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former PM Goh Chok Tong.

In 2021, he disrupted High Court proceedings, accused a judge of bias, and wrongly claimed his client, a former SBS Transit bus driver at the time, wanted to withdraw a suit.

Investigations later showed Ravi instructed a paralegal to inform the court he was still acting, despite being discharged by the client.

He was serving a five year suspension, the maximum allowed, after making “baseless and grave” allegations against the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Law Society.

These allegations stemmed from comments to The Online Citizen and Facebook posts following a court of appeal decision that overturned his client’s death sentence in 2020.