Bar Council issues notice to 16 lawyers over bench hunting at P&H High Court, will also seek response from Singhvi and Rohatgi

The Privilege Committee of Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana is set to seek response from Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Mukul Rohatgi in connection with their appearance in a case in which allegations of bench hunting have surfaced at Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Pertinently, notices have already been issued to 16 other lawyers seeking their responses in the matter. Speaking on the development, Rohatgi said,

"How am I concerned? It's all rubbish. I have got no such notice."

Singhvi also denied to have received any notice.

"I have received no notice and have no idea as to who is indulging in sensationalism. Incidentally, they don’t even know the elementary fact that I entered the picture in this case for the first time only after the bench hunting allegations were over i.e., I appeared only before CJ bench at a much later date after he had removed the case to his own bench and thereafter was hearing on merits. All allegations relate to the pre CJ hearing when I was not even appearing," he said.

The case pertains to bribery allegations against a judicial officer. Many judges including the Chief Justice have recused from hearing the quashing petition filed by a businessman, who is a co-accused in the case.

Senior Counsel Singhvi, Rohatgi, Puneet Bali and Rakesh Nehra have appeared for the businessman on different dates. In recent hearings, only Singhvi and Bali have appeared in the matter.

The case hit headlines in May when, following certain complaints, Chief Justice Sheel Nagu de-listed it from single-judge Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu of the High Court who had heard the matter at length and reserved it for judgment.

Chief Justice Nagu then started hearing the case himself. However, after hearing the case for a considerable period, he himself recused from the matter on the ground that he had dealt with the matter on the administrative side by delisting it from Justice Sindhu.

Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi is the latest judge to recuse from hearing the case.

During a hearing of the case in May, Chief Justice Nagu had hinted at bench hunting in the matter when he said that a particular lawyer was taken as the filing counsel only to get the case de-listed from a particular judge.

The Bar Council Chairman had recently asked the privilege committee of the statutory body to take up the matter immediately and submit a report or recommendations as soon as possible after holding proceedings on a day-to-day basis.

Sources told the Bar & Bench that the Committee has asked 16 advocates including Bali and Nehra to appear before it in person or through their counsel on August 16 to explain their position.

"The documents placed before us are prima facie pointing towards the attempt to manipulate the Bench Assignment process of the Hon'ble High Court. The sole objective of placing this matter, suo moto, before the Committee is to uphold the dignity of the legal profession, ensure the maintenance of legal ethics, and discharge the responsibilities entrusted under the law," it said in the notice issued to the 16 lawyers of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Besides senior counsel Bali and Nehra, notices have been issued to following advocates:

1. JK Singla;

2. Sidharth Bhardwaj;

3. Aditya Aggarwal; 

4. Gagandeep Singh;

5. Anmol Chandan;

6. Baljeet Beniwal;

7. Harsh Sharma; 

8. Sauhard Singh; 

9. Rupender Singh; 

10. Ankit Yadav; 

11. Ashim Singla;

12. Aakash Sharma;

13. Bindu;

14. APS Shergil.

Further, the Committee has also opined that it would be necessary to seek responses from Singhvi and Rohatgi to fairly and comprehensively adjudicate the matter. However, it is not clear whether any notices have been issued to these senior counsel since they are not enrolled with the Bar Council in Chandigarh.

In the notice issued to the 16 lawyers, the Committee has remarked that it "is very painful and disturbing" to discuss here that how "tactfully, systematically and in an organized manner, some of the advocates made efforts to hunt the Bench".

Though, the Committee in particular flagged the role of filing counsel JK Singla, it also opined that there might be some "big ingenious mind advocates behind the curtains".