Ad hoc panel formed to hold Dist Bar Assn polls

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, March 22

The Punjab and Haryana Bar Council has constituted a four-member ad hoc committee to conduct the elections of the District Bar Association in a free and fair manner on April 5.

Former District Bar Association presidents — Advocates Raj Bhupinder Singh, Ranjit Singh Jalal, Jasbir Singh and Navdeep Singh Jeeda — are part of the committee.

Addressing a press conference at the Bathinda Press Club on Friday, the committee members said Advocate JR Khattar had lodged a complaint with the Bar council regarding the election process. They said in the complaint, Advocate Khattar mentioned that the process was not being held as per the scheduled given by the Bar council.

The panel members added that Advocate Khattar told the council that neither any voter list was bring provided nor any affidavit of the members of the District Bar Association, Bathinda, had been obtained as required under rule 6 (B) (i) of the Bar Association Rules, 2015.

On the complaint, it was directed to report whether the president, District Bar Association, Bathinda, had sent the voter list in response to the communication sent by the Bar council dated January 4, 2019, to all presidents in states of Punjab and Haryana, they said.

Later, it was found that till March 18, 2019, the president of the Bar Association, Bathinda, had not submitted any voter list to the Bar council, the members said.

“In its order, the Bar council stated that president, Bar association, Bathinda, Guriqbal Singh Chahal was issued a show-cause notice and was told to be present to give his version on March 20. Neither Guriqbal Singh Chahal nor any counsel had appeared to submit any reply to the controvert submission made by JR Khattar, rather one librarian Rajesh Kumar was present, the order stated. According to the order, Chahal sought time on the ground that he had sent some request on the email for adjourning the matter,” they added.

The order stated that office reports clearly indicated that the president, Bar Association, Bathinda, had violated the “The Bar Association Rules 2015” framed by the Bar council, they added.

The complainant urged the Bar council to urgently dispose of matter in order to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in compliance with the Bar Association Rules 2015, they added.

Thereafter, the Bar council constituted the ad-hoc committee to hold the elections on April 5.

The committee will also issue a fresh schedule of the election process, but the poll will be held on fixed date April 5. Advocate JR Khattar was also present on the occasion.