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Return of the bar wars: Abhijat alleges hacked SMS’ as DHCBA prez Rajiv Khosla, secretary Abhijat suspend each other from office

One of the few sequels better than the original
One of the few sequels better than the original

One day after members of the Delhi High Court Bar Association received text messages that its president Rajiv Khosla had been suspended for alleged “anti–bar activity”, members were left confused when they received messages today that the DHCBA secretary Abhijat was suspended.

Yesterday's message from BH-DHCBAR stated:

EC suspends DHCBA membership of Sh. Rajiv Khosla for anti-bar activity, pending inquiry.

Today, another message from VM-DHCBAR around 1pm stated:

Secy DHCBA (Abhijat) is suspended by spl house on 24.07.15.Strike not to continue without approval of GBM. Members to resume work on Monday.

This was followed at around 4pm from BH-DHCBAR by two messages stating:

Handle “DHCBAR” hacked. Ignore last message. This is official DHCBA handle.

Don't be misled by prvs unauthorised msg from “DHCBAR” handle. Regdng abstention EC to take call on 25.7.15. Rgds. Secy. DHCBA

The DHCBA had on Tuesday called for a strike of its members from Wednesday, 22 July, against the presentation of the Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill 2014 in the Lok Sabha in isolation without also tabling the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Bill 2015.

“Mr. Khosla and his mob of supporters have hijacked the sms handle of the Bar Association and have changed the password. So, this SMS has no sanctity at all,” commented DHCBA secretary Abhijat when contacted.

Khosla did not respond to repeated requests for comment at the time of going to press.

Abhijat added that he had no clue about the special house and received no mandatory notification and that, “this gathering of lawyers and people who are claiming to be lawyers is beligious, has no sanctity”.

He claimed that many of the people in the gathering were not even lawyers and others were not even members of the DHCBA.

Abhijat said that he came to know about his own purported suspension like anyone else and through the message through the allegedly hacked account.

Abhijat claimed that the “anti-bar activities” for which Khosla was purportedly suspended yesterday, include Khosla's public dissent against the DHCBA executive committee's call for a strike.

Khosla shouldn’t have sent messages condemning the strike and calling it meaningless, having been cautioned earlier by the executive committee for similar activities, according to Abhijat. Khosla tried to intentionally harm the interests of regularly practicing high court advocates and break the unity between them, which amounted to “anti-bar activity”, he said.

Former DHCBA president AS Chandhiok commented:

A member of the Bar, more so, it’s President especially that of the Delhi High Court is expected to bear this Honour, and also that of a member provided he carries on no activity prejudicial to the interest of the said Bar. Mr. Khosla though the President of Delhi High Court Bar Association is openly, uninterruptedly and continuously has been working to the determent of Delhi High Court Bar brining disrepute to the office he is holding. As long one its office bearer one is expected to work for its betterment, welfare and for the said bar alone.

The Hon’ble President cannot be seen working to its detriment and prejudice. How can The President be responsible of depriving the members of the bar of a jurisdiction which is vested in the Hon’ble Court by statutory provisions? Mr. Khosla’s action in fact, is sending a wrong message across the country that parliamentarians in ‘India’ pass an enactment under of the pressure and not on merits. In case the cause is so dear to him he must step down from his office and should not erode the dignity thereof in any manner.

Enough damaged has been caused by all of us to this great institution, jointly and severally and any further deterioration thereof would render people at large losing confidence in the justice delivery system and / or the judiciary itself.

One prays to Almighty to give strength and wisdom to all of us, to jointly and severely, do something for the betterment of this great institution which renders justice to people and value add to it instead of bring it to ridicule.

Delhi high court lawyer @SwatySMalik tweeted today, commenting on the spat:

Witnessed my personal saddest day for the legal fraternity today.

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