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Graft charges ahead of TN bar council polls
Even as the elections to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (BCTNP) are set to be held on March 28, the process has run into rough weather with allegations of corruption running high.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
With the Advocate General Vijay Narayan, the ex-officio chairman of the Special Committee, dissociating himself from holding the elections expressing fear that it could be tainted by questionable practices, the Madras High Court has been moved seeking to restrain the special committee from in any way holding the elections.
Trouble had begun, with the advocate general writing a letter to the chairman, Bar Council of India (BCI), accusing BCI co-chairman S Prabakaran of trying to thwart the elections.
In a strongly worded letter, he had said there was ‘schism’ in the special committee and that he was reduced to a mi- nority. Also, expressing grave apprehension regarding his ability to conduct a free and fair election, he felt that it would not be proper on his part to associate the office of Advocate General in an election which may be ‘tainted’. He had also suggested the appointment of a retired judge of the High Court, in consultation with the Chief Justice to oversee the entire electoral process.
Though the two members, Singaravelan and Chandrasekharan, immediately countered it through a letter to the BCI, they said, “It is unfortunate to note that such a person has come out with baseless allegations that we are delaying the election process forgetting that an allegation can be levelled against him too connecting him with any other leader of the Bar.”
Now, a public interest litigation has been moved by advocate E Vijay Anand seeking to hold the elections under the supervision of one or more judge-commissioners appointed by the Court as was done in 2011 and consequently frame a scheme to enable the election process of TNBCP absolutely free of bribery, corruption and any other election malpractice.
However the BCI in a communication on Monday held that based on the request of the special committee members, this council unanimously resolves to appoint three retired Chief Justices of the High Courts and retired judges of the High Courts for looking after the election affairs besides appointing Justice Akbar Ali, as the Returning Officer to conduct the elections of BCTP in accordance with the schedule.
ELECTION SCHEDULE
- Publication in Official Gazette Jan 25
- Filing of nominations starts from Feb 01
- Last date for receipt of nominations Feb 15 Last date for withdrawal of nominations Feb 22
- Publication of final list of candidates March 01
- Date of election March 28
Jaya’s death: Plea to file FIR rejected
The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a plea, which sought to set aside a lower court order, rejecting a petition to direct the Thousand Lights police to register an FIR into the alleged mysterious death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Justice M V Muralidaran dismissed the criminal revision petition filed by advocate A K Velan by confirming the order of the 14th Metropolitan Magistrate on June 27, 2017. However, the judge directed the petitioner to approach the Inquiry Commission headed by Justice A Arumugasamy, a retired judge of the Madras high court, which is probing Jayalalithaa’s death, within two weeks to ventilate his grievance by way of filing a representation or other documents. Velan had filed a complaint before the 14th MM to direct the police to register a case of suspicious death. But it was dismissed and therefore he moved the High Court.
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