January 13, 2019

The Bar Council of India has taken suo motu cognisance of the reports that a lady IAS (Indian Administrative Services) officer was molested by a group of advocates at Saket Court, New Delhi.

After a meeting held on Sunday, the BCI has directed the Saket Bar Association to submit a report on the matter.

Further, it has also decided to issue notice to the advocates against whom the complaint has been made, directing them to explain why their Certificates of Practice shouldn't be suspended.

On Friday, reports surfaced that a police complaint had been filed alleging that several advocates had molested a lady IAS officer at the Saket Court premises, while on a visit to the Court on Thursday noon.

It's reported that the IAS officer was molested by an advocate at the court & further that her husband was beaten when he tried to intervene.

However, Saket Court Bar Association president Karnail Singh told Indian Express that there was no molestation or attack by the advocate as alleged. He said that the IAS officer had attacked the advocate, as a result of which he had sustained injuries.

A group of lawyers are said to have attempted to stop their car as the couple was leaving the Court.

A criminal complaint has been registered in the case against the accused advocates under Section 354 (molestation), Section 323 (causing hurt), Section 341 (wrongful restraint) & Section 34 (common intimidation). No arrests have been made so far & the investigations ongoing.

The complaint was reportedly registered based on CCTV footage which shows the couple being stopped & pushed around after a heated argument by a group of advocates at the Saket Court premises.

As per reports, the lady is an IAS officer of the 2014 batch who's currently posted in Mizoram. The couple had gone to the Saket Court after the IAS officer was summoned in a property-related matter.

Meanwhile, the BCI has directed the accused advocates to submit their replies, if any, before the Council with 1 week’s time. Thereafter, the BCI is to hold an emergent meeting to take a final decision on this issue.

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