Rohtak Bar chief’s licence suspended over strike call

The Disciplinary Committee of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has suspended the licence of Arvind Singh Sheoran, outgoing president of the District Bar Association, Rohtak, over his role in a state-wide lawyers' strike. The committee has scheduled a hearing for March 11, directing him to submit evidence supporting his reply. The Committee has also issued notice to outgoing vice-president and general secretary of the District Bar Association, Rohtak, in the matter.

The suspension follows a civil writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging a Bar Association resolution that fined a Bahadurgarh advocate Rs 11,000 for appearing in court despite a strike call. The high court took a serious view of the matter, prompting the Bar Council to form a special committee. The committee found Sheoran guilty and recommended his removal as president, leading to disciplinary proceedings under Section 35 of the Advocates Act, 1961.

The Bar Council noted that Sheoran not only failed to acknowledge his mistake but continued to justify the strike, which lasted from September 3 to September 27, 2024. It also observed that he avoided appearing before the committee and instead made allegations against other Bar Association office- bearers and the present Bar Council chairman. Finding no satisfactory response, the committee suspended his licence and sought comments from other Rohtak Bar officials.

Defending his actions, Sheoran said, “The call for the strike was given for the benefit of the advocates' fraternity, not for personal interest. If raising the voice of the advocate is a crime, then I am guilty of doing so.”

The committee will proceed with further hearings after reviewing responses from other Bar officials.