Chandigarh: Council stays Rs 50K costs imposed on DBA president

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 2

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has stayed the costs of Rs50,000 imposed on Bhag Singh Suhag, president of the District Bar Association, by the Election Tribunal of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana.

Suhag has challenged the order of the Election Tribunal of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana before the Bar Council of India.

The Election Tribunal of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana had imposed a cost of Rs50,000 on Suhag through its order dated July 20 for setting aside ex parte proceedings against him. The Council directed Suhag to pay the amount in the Covid-19 Fund of the Bar Council of Punjab in a week, failing which the order proceeded ex parte against him on July 1, 2021, will become operative.

The Tribunal has passed the order in a petition challenging the election process of the DBA held last year. After hearing the arguments, the BCI, in its order, said “the operation of the order of the Election Tribunal is hereby stayed so far as it relates to the imposition of the fine of Rs50,000. Only that part of the impugned order is hereby stayed and it is made clear that proceeding before the Tribunal shall continue to proceed without being affected by the interim order passed by the Bar Council of India.”

The BCI has also issued the notices to the parties for September 18, 2021. It has also called all records relating to the matter from the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana. The Tribunal in the order passed on July 1 had decided to proceed ex parte against Suhag after none from his side were present during the hearing.