Apex court stays HC's strictures against Additional Advocate General

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed certain strictures passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court against Haryana's Additional Advocate General Deepak Sabharwal.

"Anything can be said against the party. But passing strictures against the counsel cannot happen," a Bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna said, staying the high court’s remarks against Sabharwal.

The order came on a petition filed by the Haryana Government against an order passed by the high court that said Sabharwal had made misleading submissions to oppose medical bail plea of an accused.

"Suppressing material facts, misrepresenting or misleading the Court in any manner constitutes a serious violation of prosecutorial ethics and an affront to judicial integrity," the high court had said in its January 31 order.

The SC order came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted on behalf of the Haryana Government that the high court should not have passed this kind of order against the law officer.