Poti made several significant judgments in favor of the rights of poor people fighting for justice.

Poti pointed out in 1985 that although the original Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination, an amendment in 1951 empowers the state to make reservation in favor of any disadvantaged group.

Poti heard a petition from the tribal people of nineteen villages in Gujarat whose land was being flooded by the Sardar Sarovar project.

Poti served on the Indian People's Tribunal on Environmental and Human Rights (IPT), which investigated the Chintapalli Arson Case where police had destroyed tribal hamlets in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The tribunal released a report on 18 October 1988 which indicted the policemen responsible for the crime and the Andhra Pradesh government for their forest and tribal policies.

Rosha, a retired officer of the Indian Police Service, to a committee to investigate the events of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.

[8] In 1994, the IPT investigated the Rajaji National Park, where the authorities wanted to remove the Gujjars who had traditionally lived in the forest.

Poti prepared the IPT report, which recommended that the Gujjars be allowed to stay but assisted if they decided to leave.

[10] His report on the Rajaji National Park provided a model for similar investigations of other protected areas in India.

[3] Padmanabhan Subramanian Poti died in Kochi, Kerala in February 1998 of a heart attack.