Tamil Nadu Bar Council Chairman R K Chandramohan was expelled from his post and membership by a division bench following an allegation of attempts to influence a former Chennai High Court judge in an anticipatory bail matter nearly 18 months after the matter was first reported.

A Chennai High Court division bench of justices F M Ibrahim Kalifulla and M M Sundresh came down heavily upon the incumbent chairman of the state bar council yesterday while hearing two public interest litigations opposing his candidature and questioning his credentials.

The petitioner had challenged Chandramohan’s action in continuing to serve as the chairman even after former Judge R Regupathi wrote a formal letter and made public how Chandramohan tried to influence him to gain a favourable order in a case using the 2G spectrum scam’s kingpin and tainted minister A Raja’s name.

The Hindu reported: “Following a direction from the Judge, the High Court Registry produced a letter dated July 2, 2009, written by the Judge to the Chief Justice of Madras High Court in which he had stated that on June 12, 2009 while he was in his chamber, Mr. Chandramohan met him and said that two persons who were family friends of the Union Minister had filed the petition for anticipatory bail in a criminal case and it must be considered favourably. He also handed over his mobile phone saying that the Union Minister was on the line to talk to the Judge.”

The bench, while noting that the veracity of the former judge’s claim cannot be questioned, directed the petitioner to file a formal complaint with the Bar Council of India (BCI) as it declined to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Chandramohan.

Chandramohan’s behaviour “was unprecedented and the same had to be dealt with an iron hand to ensure that such a behaviour was not even dreamt to be attempted by any other unscrupulous element under the garb of wearing the glorious robes of an advocate,” the Hindu quoted the bench.

The delay in suspending the bar council chief ever since the matter was first brought to notice in 2009. Subsequent pronouncements calling for action against him were only taken up after initiation of PIL proceedings against the backdrop of the ongoing investigation against former telecoms minister A Raja.