By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday refused to suspend the Delhi High Court verdict banning high-profile lawyers I.U. Khan and R.K. Anand from practising before it and its subordinate courts in Delhi for four months.
A bench of Justice B.N. Agrawal and Justice G.S. Singhvi denied the interim relief to the two senior counsels saying the high court had given them “a very lenient” punishment.
“If the judgement is upheld, then we feel that it had taken a very lenient view,” said the bench.
While denying the interim relief to the two, the bench, however, slated their pleas for an early final hearing for disposal Oct 14.
The two senior advocates have moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court ruling banning their practice after they were found guilty of committing contempt to court for interfering with administration of justice.
The two had been charged with interference with administration of justice by colluding as prosecution and defence counsel, respectively, to influence key prosecution witness Sunil Kulkarni to turn hostile in the BMW hit-and-run case involving former navy chief Admiral S.M. Nanda’s grandson, Sanjeev Nanda.
The high court has also recommended the two for striping off of their tag of senior counsel.
The bench refused to grant any interim relief to Khan and Anand rejecting the plea by their counsel P.P. Rao and Rajeev Dhawan that the high court has breached its jurisdiction in banning their practice as under the Advocate Act only the Bar Council of India or the bar councils of various states are empowered to stop a lawyer from practicing.
The two counsel also contended that the high court also did not adhere to the due procedure in arriving at its conclusion against their clients Khan and Anand.