Lawyer barges inside chamber of CAT chairperson Manjula Das, threatens her

In an unprecedented development, a lawyer barged inside the chamber of chairperson of Central Administrative Tribunal, Manjula Das and threatened her for passing an order against the Central government in a case pending before the tribunal [Delhi Andaman and Nicobar Island Civil Services Officers Association vs Ministry of Home Affairs]..The incident was narrated in detail in the order passed by Das on May 11. Das was hearing a plea (miscellaneous application) by a civil services officers association claiming that certain relieving orders passed by the Union Home Ministry were violative of status quo orders passed earlier by the Delhi High Court and the CAT.The CAT chairperson while staying the relieving orders, noted that the orders were violative of orders passed by the High Court in February 2022 and the Tribunal in December 2021. Though proxy counsel appearing for the Ministry Advocate Gyanendra Singh sought a passover, the CAT Chairperson stated that Singh had notice of the miscellaneous application, and an advance notice had also been served upon him. .The order noted that after the CAT chairperson wound up the affairs for the day, advocate Singh barged into her chamber and raised his voice in a threatening tone. ."Later on, after winding up the court business for the day, when I returned to my chamber at about 5.00 pm, Mr. Gyanendra Singh, Advocate who is representing the respondents in the aforesaid case, suddenly even before I could settle down, barged into my chamber without seeking my permission and bypassing my personal staff in the secretariat. He started behaving in an unruly manner and raised his voice demanding to know how I had stayed the order impugned in the MA without hearing him," the order stated. .Though she tried to reason with him that he had advance notice of the application, he would not listen and continued speaking in raised and threatening tone stating that the CAT could not have passed such an order against the government, the order further said.."Mr. Gyanendra Singh, would not listen and continued speaking in raised and threatning tone, stating that I could not have passed such order against the Government. He did not even care about the fact that I am an elderly respectable lady, and he should have restrained himself while presenting himself before me. He kept on shouting and also threatened that he could bring about an "earthquake" as an order of his liking was not passed by the court," the order said.He kept on shouting and also threatened that he could bring about an "earthquake" as an order of his liking was not passed by the court.CAT Chairperson Manjula Das.The Chairperson stated that such behaviour from a lawyer was "astonishing" and "totally unacceptable" and could also malign the otherwise cordial relations between the Bench and the Bar. "I hereby condemn this uncalled for behaviour on the part of Mr. Gyanendra Singh, Advocate, with full force at my command," the order added. .Das, therefore, disassociated herself from hearing any matters where advocate Gyanendra Singh would appear as counsel henceforth. "Registry shall accordingly ensure that no matter where Mr. Gyanendra Singh is a counsel is listed before me in future," the order said.