TN lawyer suspended from practicing for 'improper' behaviour during virtual hearing

An advocate of the Madras High Court was suspended on Tuesday from practicing for his alleged 'improper' behaviour with a woman during the course of the virtual hearing of a case before a single judge. 

R D Santhana Krishnan, an advocate from here, was prevented from practicing as an advocate in all courts, tribunals and other authorities in India either in his name or in any assumed name till the disposal of the disciplinary proceedings pending against him for his alleged indecent behavior, a press release from the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry said. 

The portfolio judges P N Prakash and R Hemalatha on their own initiated contempt proceedings against Santhana Krishnan. They directed the CB-CID wing of the police to register a case and hold a thorough probe on the issue and file a report on December 23. 

The judges also directed the Tamil Nadu Bar Council to take appropriate disciplinary proceedings against the lawyer and accordingly, it prohibited Santhana Krishnan from practicing, by adopting the resolution today. 

The video purportedly showed the lawyer in an intimate posture with a woman, while a judge was hearing a case through video-conferencing on Monday. It went viral on Tuesday.