S.L. Jaiswal v. Disciplinary Committee, Bar Council of India

Supreme Court of India · 22 Jan 2009
B.N. Agrawal; G.S. Singhvi
CIVIL APPEAL NO.4013 OF 2001
other appeal_allowed Significant

AI Summary

The Supreme Court set aside a disciplinary order imposing punishment on an advocate where no evidence was produced and the finding was based solely on suspicion.

Full Text
Translation output
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO.4013 OF 2001
S.L. Jaiswal ...Appellant(s)
VERSUS
Disciplinary Committee, Bar Council of India ...Respondent(s)
Heard learned counsel for the parties.
By the impugned order, the Disciplinary Committee of Bar Council of India
(hereinafter referred to as “the Disciplinary Committee”) imposed punishment of censure on the appellant and also directed him to pay a sum of Rupees twenty thousand as cost to be paid to the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa within a period of six months with a stipulation if he fails to do so then his license shall remain suspended for a period of two years.
A perusal of the impugned order shows that the complainant did not adduce any evidence in support of the allegation leveled against the appellant.
Notwithstanding this, the Disciplinary Committee punished him by observing that something fishy was going on between the parties. In our view, the Disciplinary
Committee was not justified in ....2/-
- 2 - finding the appellant guilty on the basis of suspicion and pure surmises and conjectures.
Accordingly, the appeal is allowed and impugned order is set aside.
No costs. ......................J.
[B.N. AGRAWAL] ......................J.
[G.S. SINGHVI]
New Delhi, January 22, 2009.
JUDGMENT