Karanjawala & Co said it is unfazed by the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) complaint against it over its client MJ Akbar’s defamation suit, and has apologised to the BCD.

A Hindi online portal Streekal had complained to the Bar Council of India (BCI) on 16 October that Karanjawala had breached bar council rules as its Vakalatnama (plea to act for a client in court) was missing the complete details of all of the 97 lawyers that the firm had said were acting for Akbar.

Karanjawala managing partner Raian Karanjawala commented: “It is basically the normal standard procedure. three or four of [the advocates acting in the case but mentioned on the Vakalatnama] did not have [name, enrolment number and contact details] on the Vakalatnama. We’ve written to the bar council saying we’re sorry for that. Also, by way of suggestion, have asked to change [the Vakalatnama to reflect full details].”

He added that the complaint was “innocuous”.

Karanjawala’s Vakalatnama to act for former journalist MJ Akbar in his criminal defamation case against a female journalist who had accused him of sexual harassment had gone viral on social media on 15 October, in-part for carrying a list of 97 lawyers on the side of Akbar.

“A [Karanjawala] representative said the vakalatnama with the 97 names is the staple one for all cases that the firm takes up. She said the associates who will deal with the case have been named on the website livelaw.in. Livelaw has listed senior partner Sandeep Kapur, principal associate Veer Sandhu, senior associates Niharika Karanjawala, Apoorva Pandey, Mayank Datta and associate Gudipati G. Kashyap as the lawyers through whom the petition was filed,” The Telegraph had reported earlier.

Photo by Mubasshir Mushtaq.