The law firm Singh & Associates, which has been on a lateral hiring spree this year, has been raided by the government’s Income Tax Department (ITD) yesterday as part of a raid on its founding partner Manoj K Singh.
We have reached out to Singh and the firm and two of its spokespersons for comment and will update this story if and when we get anything.
Update 20 October: Singh & Associates has made the following statement:
We write to you with regards to your article dated 15th October 2020, published on the platform Legally India. In the wee hours of Wednesday, 14th October 2020, the Income Tax Officials knocked on our doors and proceeded to search our premises. We are immensely proud of our team for fully cooperating with the officials. However, we strongly refute and deny the allegations of seizure of Rs 5.5 crores cash, as stated in your article; the same is false.
We hereby assert and notify you that no such cash as indicated in your article was seized from the premises/offices of Singh & Associates or our Founding Partner Mr Manoj K Singh.
Your article’s contents about unaccounted cash transactions are false, baseless and misleading. This has severely damaged our brand name, reputation and goodwill in the market.
We request you to take cognizance of all the facts presented to you and also request you to recheck your facts with the concerned authorities and publish a clarification conveying our stance to your readers.
According to the ITD, it had carried out a “search and seizure action... in the case of a leading advocate practicing (sic) in the field of commercial arbitration and alternate dispute resolution”, across 38 properties in Delhi, NCR and Haryana.
The department said that it had recovered Rs 5.5 crore in cash and found “incriminating documents of unaccounted cash transactions and investments” over several years, including “substantial digital data reflecting unaccounted transactions of the assessee and his associates, who are financers and builders”.
The department did not name the advocate, but we understand according to two authoritative sources with knowledge of the raid, that the firm’s founding partner Manoj Kumar Singh was the target of the raid, which the firm has denied [UPDATE-1: See statement above].
Besides being the founder of Singh & Associates, Manoj K Singh was only last month elected as chairman of the Delhi bar council’s executive committee, and is part of the bar council’s rules committee, according to a press release on 9 September 2020. (Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta was elected chairman, with Himal Akhtar as vice-chairman of the Delhi bar council at the same time).
According to the department’s release, the unnamed advocate was “suspected to be receiving substantial amounts in cash from his clients, to settle their disputes”, and had allegedly “received Rs. 117 crore from a client in cash, whereas he had shown only Rs 21 crore in his records, which was received through cheque”.
“In another case, he received more than Rs. 100 crore in cash from an infrastructure and engineering company for its arbitration proceedings with a public sector company,” claimed the department.
Manoj K Singh: Decorated man & firm
Manoj K Singh founded the firm in 2002, according to his Linked-in profile, which states that he:
Practices, appears and argues matters in Supreme Court of India and various High Courts in the country including but not limited to New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Patna Bangalore, Indore, etc. Also appears in the District Courts, including but not limited to Patialla House Courts, Tees Hazari, Dwarka District Court, Kakardooma District Court, Rohini District Court, and various Tribunals including Custom Excise Appellate Tribunal, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission, Debt Recovery Tribunal, State and National Consumer Redressal Forums etc on the basis of requirement.
He is the Special Counsel for TRANSCO, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and was previously also empanelled with Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
However, Singh & Associates high production values brochure, includes Manoj K Singh's name on every one of its 27 pages.
The firm and Singh have been highly active on a public relations and marketing front, especially in recent years, as indicated by its brochure including a long list of plaudits and superlatives about the firm, as well as apparently having won pretty much every Indian legal award and ranking available with more than 50 listings.
It also includes a list of more than 500 client companies.
The firm has three partners who are on management - Manoj K Singh as founding partner, Daizy Chawla as managing partner and Gunita Pahwa as joint managing partner.
According to its website, there are also three senior partners (which includes a “director finance”, who does not have a full profile on its web page or a Linked-in profile).
The web site also lists seven (non-senior) partners, of whom three had joined only this year.
Full tax department statement
Income Tax Department carries out searches in Delhi, NCR and Haryana Posted On: 15 OCT 2020 7:34PM by PIB Delhi
The Income Tax Department has carried out a search and seizure action on 14.10.2020 in the case of a leading advocate practicing in the field of commercial arbitration and alternate dispute resolution. He was suspected to be receiving substantial amounts in cash from his clients, to settle their disputes. During the search 38 premises spread over Delhi, NCR and Haryana have been covered.
During the search, cash of Rs. 5.5 crore has been seized, while 10 lockers have been placed under restraint. Incriminating documents of unaccounted cash transactions and investments made by the assessee over several years have been found. Substantial digital data reflecting unaccounted transactions of the assessee and his associates, who are financers and builders, has also been recovered.
In one case, the assessee had received Rs. 117 crore from a client in cash, whereas he had shown only Rs. 21 crore in his records, which was received through cheque. In another case, he received more than Rs. 100 crore in cash from an infrastructure and engineering company for its arbitration proceedings with a public sector company.
The unaccounted cash received, has been invested by the assessee in purchase of residential and commercial properties and in taking over of trusts engaged in running of schools. Evidences recovered indicate investment of more than Rs. 100 crore in cash in several properties in posh areas in the last two years. The assessee and his associates have also purchased several schools and properties, for which also more than Rs. 100 crore was paid in cash. He has also taken accommodation entries worth several crores.
Further investigations are in progress.
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Hey paisa
In both cases, money is hoarded by the founder and not disseminated downwards. Nothing new. This is how it is. If you get an opportunity to jump ship in an house position, do so. Else, if you move lateral, unless you have portable clients and thus you are giving a piece to law firms who are only a franchisee model and not a partnership, you are moving from the pot into a frying pan.
They might want to say that these ex-employees are venting out out of their personal grudge. But it is soo strange that literally EVERYBODY who has worked there holds a horrible opinion about the place and the bosses. They are all unprofessional.
An intern knows more law than [...]
Unfortunately it is true. And that should speak alot about the firm you work for, in your words - "childish" and arbitrary and functions on its whims and fancies
Regards,
Mishra jee
Quote:
You check your facts and stop misleading people with your comments.
I won't be surprised if this is also some paid comment by MKS
Fact^ (not an opinion).
You clearly look like an employee of Singh and Associates
If that's the scene bro, I highly doubt your capabilities of understanding what "ratio" of a judgement means.
So you leave it there, brother
Pehle lawschool firse padh ke aa
And tum s&a wale, ask your management in your so called whatsapp group to decide and attack as to whether we the flagbearer of the truth are:-
1. Getting paid by your rival.
2. Are ex employees.
indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-beaten-up-as-a-child-20-yr-old-knocks-on-sc-door-to-keep-father-behind-bars-5984301/lite/
m.hindustantimes.com/delhi/10-years-jail-for-monster-parents/story-OoC0OcAXnXGMOzhrzRVZ2O.html
indiankanoon.org/doc/66577688/
I don't think anything will happen. He is well connected politically and has good contacts with retired members of the bench. His office involvement also came at the time of NSEL scam- and he came out of it with a bang.
Well it seems that only the firms culture deteriorated ( only if that was possible), but that has nothing to do with the raid- maybe a disgruntled employee?
At the least, I hope the BCD takes strict actions against him and he is atleast evicted from the executive committee with immediate effect and a complaint be filed for cancellation of his license. He is not a lawyer, he is just a [...] who has been running this [...].
-willing to provide any information to the ITD
Also, not just travel tickets but also chartered planes for judges to give them a tour around Jaipur. He is law, finance and BCD all in one. HE is the epitome of the greatest lawyer ever. India's biggest and largest lawfirm this is, people. I hope along with him, other equity partners also get booked.
The amount shown through cheque mentioned in your story is obviously wrong. Pl correct.
He will come out clean. Nothing to worry. He will now be in the league of [...]
P.S. Ministry of Finance's statement released doesn't quote his name.
1. Object to all the comments that depict the truth but put MKS in bad light
2. Write positive reviews on the comment section for the firm and the boss.
I am glad I can write this anonymously, hence putting it out there.
We were sent back from office day before yesterday and there were soo many police officials in the firm. Ofcourse the ITD has raided all the premises of MKS and everybody knows and can see it. Just because Ministry of finance did not name the advocate does not mean it is not MKS. So stop spreading lies please
IT has not mentioned the name of any lawyer.
Or is it ?
The truth shall prevail!
The man is talented and his work speaks volumes about him in the profession. Give him due credit and respect.
He made a big name in the profession all by himself and he is going to come out untainted, protecting that name. I stand with him.
That's crazy! Speaks volumes of everything one can learn in this place
Ps:- let me give you the initials of their names so that you know we mean what we say here, unlike your group that's been trying to mislead people in the comments section ([...] - list of PAs and SAs, to name a few)
I wish someone were funding us for all the negative reviews, unfortunately they aren't. Yet you see the passion in the discontent and aversion towards the firm. That's your bosses' wrong doings there. So unless you or your boss is willing to fund me here to post positive comments (just like you), stop 'stifling' our rights to speak freely and if you're that loyal and courageous, brother, please don't talk behind the anonymity of your computer, brother.
Nobody's interested in MKS or his employees victimizing themselves here after having siphoned off sooo much cash and indulged in massive tax evasion (oh, "allegedly" ofcourse !)
The Income Tax department on Wednesday raided 38 locations in Delhi and Haryana in connection with a case of ‘unaccounted cash transactions’ involving advocate Manoj Kumar Singh, who specializes in commercial arbitration and alternate dispute resolution
m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/income-tax-department-raids-38-sites-linked-to-advocate/story-CA4ZbDt8V0DVkVQ9LQrAZL.html
Kuch bhi matlab Kuch bhi lol
Don't you believe contempt petition against prashant bhushan was a direct result to his Rafael petition or his opposition of CAA-NRC?
Or to name a few P.Chidambaram implicated in INX matrix because of his vocalness during demonitisation ?
Just to make it clear Singh & Associates practice is centered against state instrumentalities coupled with this is pending NHAI's attempt to conciliate and settle dispute (3000crore worth dispute already settled) since lockdown. So it doesn't really takes rocket science to figure out who is behind this & how it is just an attempt to stifle a law firm to achieve innuendo
Clearly someone who has no idea about litigation. Way to mischaracterize dude.
“Hahahah” -.-
Facts should be verified first , before hurling insults.
A sad day for the Legal fraternity to indulge in mudslinging on a fellow colleague, who has put in so much hard work and dedication to not only reach the top but also stay there on the top.
Let , Truth , Wisdom and Common Sense prevail
What Diwali bonus. If only they had used a bit of all this 5.5 cr cash for making their employees happy with a decent Diwali bonus, aaj yeh haal nai hota inka
THE OFFFFFICE HAS BEEEEN SEALED
Poor lawyers failing to differentiate between cases and situations. Happens when you have cognitive bias. Hypocrisy my foot.
Another [...] partner would fat-shame people on [their] floor and make random remarks on the association [...]
Mistreating employees, hiring them with the idea of letting them join litigation while making them do clerical work, list of dates and turning them into [...] billing machines and getting appreciated for generating more [...] bills.
No just that, asking associates to take part in election campaign free of cost. Not paying the money due to them as per the HR policy while it was owed to the associates but shoving the HR policy in the face of employees for everything else.
From what I hear it was a hell hole.
Harassing employees- firing them for standing up to their right.
Partners calling themselves senior partners with no knowledge but merely threatening and scaring off new-employees.
It’s a nightmare. Then came dealing with TT he mood swings and extreme nature of the founding partner, it was bound to happen, the amount of hatred people had for them. Especially the inner circle of evil.
P S: The job was of a peon.
Kaaton pe chalke milenge saaye bahar ke,
O Raahi O raahi”
People throwing mud on the name of the firm will succeed in nothing but only in getting their own hands dirty.
More power to S&A.
It seems all cooked up and has a personal vendetta.
P.S- S&A is one of the few firms to make significant strides in less than 2 decade.
Even if the teachers were innocent, you would've crapped all over the place.
Similar is the scenario out here.
The article is weirdly filled with all the details that even the IT hasn't recieved.
Plain and simple.
Other firms or political rivals must be after him seeing his rise.
Some really incompetent employees is what I'm supposing. Couldn't really get ahead in the firm so why not trash it.
Feels more of a masaledar article, and not a verified one.
A. MKS is founding partner
B. Ms.Daisy Chawla & Ms. Gunita Pahwa are managing partner
This is factually incorrect and speaks to credibility of this article.
He is a one man show or that's what he claims to be atleast
Its a good firm to work for and start your career l.I have gained expertise in Commercial Arbitration from my learning being in this firm only.
I would like to share my personal experience of meeting manoj sir and his team. When I first met him I was taken a back with sir's command on law and his interpretation. It takes a lot of hardwork to reach where he has reached especially being a first generation lawyer. I would request everyone to not believe these made up stories and please believe in him. He will definitely shine like star.
This seems to be a fishy raid. After having worked with Singh and Associates for over a period of 2 years, I can undoubtedly say that it is one of the most promising platform for newcomers like me.. I can never thank them enough for their guidance and mentorship.
I have worked with you for a shortwhile and i am forever grateful to you for all the things that you have taught me. They always help me in the field. Your knowledge and interpretation in commerical arbitration is beyond anyone's imagination.
Sir all of us are always there in your support and we're sure that you will achieve all the success in this world.
What is the source of your news that Rs 5.5 crore has been seized from Mr. Singh’s house?
As far as i know money has been has been seized from his house.
Your personal agenda and the want to earn fame by writing a scandalising story is disheartening
Is someone paying you to write this?
Your team will not let this be posted as always.
Earlier it was a competitor or rival who was writing these. Now it has become the ex employees.
Andhere mein teer maarna band karo and agar office jaa rahe tum toh baat karna.
We all know tumhari saari office sealed hain.
Ps:- say more and we will furnish whatsapp chat to prove our point against your lies.
Mr. Singh is not a new man to the legal field, he is known as one of the most knowledgable Advocate in India.
No doubt when people grow the old friends get angry/jeolous of such growth and comments on this post shows how many such friends Mr. Singh have.
It is true that the firm and Mr. Singh is growing rapidly more than anyother firm in India with his dedication and hardworks towards his Work.
People who know Mr. Singh, they know his hard works too.
I have full confidence this propogenda against Mr. Singh and the Firm will end soon and they will comeup with the Clean Hand and will again shine like a star.
The only people who stay here for long are relatives or family friends because they also know they won't get a job anywhere else.
I don't think it's common in legal fraternity to hate their ex employees (like in this case as accepted by you). I have seen people love and be a devotee to their ex employers.
Your MKS must have had to be a very incompetent teacher/mentor for people (ex employees) to be hating on him
Ps:- it's Propoganda and not porpogenda
As it appears from comments, a number of disgruntled employees and ex employees are also in the fray to vent out their frustration. It is ironic that very same legal professionals, who profess resolution of every dispute & allegation through legal means are out there guns blazing, to slay one of their own marquee, without a chance of defence.
Pray good sense prevails over the detractors & they practice the much desired patience
Employee/Ex. Employee/ not employee + Negative Vibe = Paid + Diwali Bonus + any other perk?
Failed to understand the negative reviews, driving force. If actually part, why not quit? What are you waiting for Diwali Bonus?
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