Bhopal, July 22 -- Senior advocate Sajid Hussain Siddiqui, who built the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in Madhya Pradesh from the ground up and served as the first president of its state unit, died on the intervening night of July 18 and 19. He was buried at the Jahangirabad graveyard, with a large gathering joining the funeral procession.

A practising lawyer in Bhopal for decades, Siddiqui was known for combining professional standing at the bar with sustained political and social work on behalf of minorities and marginalised communities.

A lawyer for the disadvantaged

At the bar, Siddiqui handled a wide range of cases but was most associated with matters of public importance, working on civil liberties, prisoners' rights, c...