The Delhi High Court on Monday took serious objection to an advocate’s social media post on Facebook in which he made incendiary and scandalous allegations of irregularities in the Delhi District Court Bar association elections [Vipin Kumar Sharma Vs. The Returning Officer NDBA Elections, 2025].
Justice Mini Pushkarna censured the advocate over the post and expressed her inclination to refer the matter to the Bar Council of India.
“You are not fit to be a lawyer if these are the sort of posts you put. Election is never friendly, especially bar ones. This does not give you the justification to post all this. I will refer the matter to the Bar Council of India. What is all this nonsense! Such kind of leaders the Bar should never have. The Court is not happy with your demeanour, your justification. Court does not expect Bar leaders to be like this,” the Court stated.
The Court directed advocate Mehmood Pracha who was representing the lawyer who put up the Facebook post to ensure that such social media posts by him are deleted.
“The dignity of the court has to be maintained. You are personally responsible to ensure that it is deleted. The court does not expect Bar leaders to be like this,” Justice Pushkarna said.
Advocate Pracha agreed that the Facebook post is per se false.
"We tender our unconditional apology," he added.
The Court, in its order, stated that it has taken a serious view of the advocate’s Facebook post. However, keeping in view the unconditional apology tendered and the nature of the case, the Court decided to take a lenient view and refrained from initiating contempt of court proceedings.
“This Court has taken a very serious view of the Facebook post put by the said counsel. The court was inclined to initiate contempt proceedings against the said counsel and refer the matter to the BCI. However, the said counsel along with other counsels appearing for petitioner have profusely apologised have tendered unconditional apologised. Though this court was not inclined to accept the apology, however, considering the nature of the dispute, the apology is accepted,” the Court stated.
The advocate was pardoned after being given a warning not to upload any such post on social media that may affect the dignity of the court in any manner.
The Court was hearing a petition concerning alleged irregularities tied to the New Delhi Bar Association (NDBA) Election held in March 2025 at the Patiala House Courts.