Phoolka seeks Bar Council''s nod to appear in ’84 riot cases

New Delhi, March 30

Senior advocate H S Phoolka, who has been elected the Leader of Opposition in Punjab assembly, has sought permission of the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) to represent the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims in various courts.

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Phoolka, in a letter to the BCD chairman, today said as he has been designated as the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly which has the status of a cabinet minister, he has stopped his practice as an advocate and sought permission to appear only in the riot cases.

"I have been pursuing cases of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots for the past over 30 years as an advocate and then as a senior advocate, completely pro-bono (doing work without any charge).

I am closely associated with these cases as a cause which is why I have always done them pro-bono.

"I seek your permission to allow me to represent the victims and complainants in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases, which I will continue to do pro-bono," he said in the letter.

Phoolka, an Aam Aadmi Party leader, has been representing the riot victims since the beginning and presently around 20 such cases are pending before the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court and various trial courts here.

He said till the time Bar Council grants permission, he will be present in the courts during the hearing of riots cases and will guide the team of lawyers. — PTI