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SCBA political diary: Sec’y KC Kaushik, accused of advertising, wants Khanna, PHP to sit for polygraph

Supreme Court Bar: Associated with politics
Supreme Court Bar: Associated with politics
Exclusive: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) secretary KC Kaushik, who was censured by the body for allegedly advertising his son’s practice in the SCBA member directories, has accused additional solicitor general and SCBA vice president Rakesh Khanna and SCBA president PH Parekh of using their SCBA executive offices for personal gains.

KC Kaushik at the end of October demanded that Parekh and Khanna sit for a polygraph test as part of the inquiry, but both refused.

In a 29 October email to the SCBA’s assistant secretary, treasurers and executive members, including Parekh, Khanna and 15 others such as senior advocates Pinky Anand and AK Ganguli, KC Kaushik wrote: “[There is] a political conspiracy hatched by Mr Rakesh K Khanna in active connivance of Mr PH Parekh against elected hony secretary for their personal gain.”

It was alleged that a number of copies of the annual SCBA diaries sold in November 2011 contained a sheet with the name and practice of KC Kaushik’s son, advocate Rahul Kaushik, printed on it. Some of the diaries that were bought were returned by the members.

An inquiry into the incident was conducted in December 2011 by SCBA executive member and retired judge TS Doabia. Pending Doabia’s preliminary report KC Kaushik was suspended from the post of SCBA secretary but the final report of the inquiry is still pending.

In an email on 26 April to the executive members, KC Kaushik denied the charges against him in the inquiry, asserting that the printing of Rahul Kaushik’s particulars in those diaries was an inadvertent mistake that happened due to a lack of coordination between the SCBA and the diaries’ printer.

He added that this mistake in turn was the result of “mischief done by somebody”, because Khanna and Parekh wanted to sell the diaries at the higher price of Rs 38.5 quoted by the external printer, instead of at a price of Rs 20 which he had negotiated by allowing the printer to advertise its name on the diaries.

KC Kaushik also alleged that the inquiry was conducted in an improper manner and violated SCBA rules. He indicated that Doabia had personal reasons to be biased in favour of Parekh and Khanna, and that the inquiry dragged on for several months without any legitimate reason.

According to KC Kaushik, Khanna was motivated to “conspire” against him because he wanted to take over the secretary’s role of conducting SCBA functions to get “maximum mileage and attention”, as he was “aspiring for much higher things on the basis of the offices he has held in the bar”.

Khanna declined to comment when contacted by Legally India, citing the pending inquiry report.

Parekh said: “He [KC Kaushik] is suspended by the decision of the EC for his conduct. As president I am bound by the decision of the EC who suspended the secretary and the duty of the secretary is to be discharged by Vibhu Shankar Mishra who is the treasurer.

“I have nothing against Mr Kaushik personally. I always like to work with cooperation of all the executive members as well as general body members when necessary.”

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