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HIGH COURT OF DELHI
Date of Decision: 28th May, 2025
LALIT SHARMA AND ORS. .....Petitioners
Through:
Through: Mr. T. Singhdev, Mr. Tanishq Srivastava, Ms. Yamini Singh, Mr. Abhijit Chakravary, Ms. Anum Hussain, Mr. Bhanu Gulati & Mr. Sourabh Kumar, Advs.
Mr. Anshu Davar, Ms Tabbassum Firdause, Mr Sameed Salim & Md
Imran Ahmad Adv. for Chairperson, Shahdara Bar Association.
Mr. Sanjay Lao, Standing Counsel (Crl.)
Mr. Ruchir Mishra, Mr. Sanjiv Kr.
Saxena Mr. Mukesh Kr. Tiwari, Ms. Poonam Shukla & Ms. Reba Jena
Mishra, Advs. for UoI.
Mr. Vikram Singh Panwar, Ms. Chandrika Gupta, Advs. for DHCBA.
Mr. Ajay Kumar Agarwal, Adv. Dr. Amit George, Mr. Adhishwar Suri, Ms. Ibansara Syiemlieh & Mr. Artaneil Bhaumik, Advs. for DHC.
Mr. Ajay Karan, SHO & Mr. Nitin Kumar, SI (PS Farsh Bazar)
JUSTICE C. HARI SHANKAR Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral)
JUDGMENT
1. This hearing has been done through hybrid mode.
2. In the present writ petition, directions have been issued from time to time, in respect of conduct of elections to the Delhi High Court Bar Association as also the various Bar Associations in the District Courts. Vide order dated 21st February, 2025, finally, elections were fixed for being conducted in all Courts simultaneously on 21st March, 2025.
3. The elections to all the Bar Associations were concluded on 21st March, 2025 except in respect of the Saket Bar Association and the Shahdara Bar Association, which were called off due to various reasons. Accordingly, certain applications were filed in respect of these two Bar Associations which were considered by this Court on 7th April, 2025 and the said applications were disposed of and necessary directions were issued for the conduct of elections for the Shahdara Bar Association on 24th May, 2025.
4. The matter has been listed today for filing of compliance report with respect to the elections to the Shahdara Bar Association. Justice Talwant Singh (Retd.), Chairperson of the Election Committee of the Shahdara Bar Association (hereinafter, ‘the Chairperson’) has submitted his report.
5. As per the said report, the elections to the Shahdara Bar Association were finally conducted in a peaceful manner on 24th May, 2025 between 08:00 am to 05:00 pm.
6. The counting of votes also started on the said date itself and concluded at 03:30 am on the intervening night of 24th & 25th May, 2025. The results have also been declared on the said date.
7. The Chairperson has also reported that accounts of all the vendors now stand settled. With the conclusion of the elections to the Shahdara Bar Association, the elections of all Bar Associations in Delhi, including the Delhi High Court Bar Association have now been successfully concluded.
8. This Court expresses its appreciation for the smooth and successful conduct of the elections to the Election Committee and the Bar, to the Delhi Police who provided adequate security and the Delhi University, who made available the EVMs for conducting elections in such a short period of time.
9. The Court also records its gratitude for Justice RK Gauba (Retd.) as also Justice Talwant Singh (Retd.), the Chairpersons of the Saket Bar Association Election Committee and the Shahdara Bar Association Election Committees, respectively, who have enabled the elections to the respective Bar Associations to be conducted peacefully and in an orderly manner – that too on a pro bono basis.
10. No further orders are called for in this writ petition.
PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUDGE NAVIN CHAWLA JUDGE C. HARI SHANKAR JUDGE MAY 28, 2025 kk/ss