New Delhi, July 5 The Delhi High Court has sought response from the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Bar Council of India (BCI) on a petition against the suspension of SCBA Secretary Ashok Arora.
A single judge bench of Justice Mukta Gupta, while slating the matter for further hearing on August 6, issued summons in the suit and notice on the application filed by Arora seeking to stay the resolution passed by the SCBA's Executive Committee.
While senior advocate Rajiv Nayar and Arvind Nigam represented the SCBA, advocate Rajdipa Behura appeared for the BCI.
In May, the SCBA's Executive Committee suspended Arora from its Secretary's post with immediate effect in a meeting held online.
The decision was taken a day after Arora had called an emergent general meeting (EGM) of the lawyers' body on May 11 to deliberate on the removal of senior advocate Dushyant Dave from the post of SCBA President.
The EGM was cancelled by the EC and a three-member panel set up to examine the allegations levelled against Arora, said a senior official of the SCBA. The decision of the EC to suspend Arora was taken by the majority, and Dave abstained from voting.
The friction emerged among the top office-bearers in the SCBA over the statement made by Supreme Court judge Justice Arun Mishra on February 22, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi at International Judicial Conference-2020.
On February 25, Dave had issued a "resolution", allegedly signed by several members of the SCBA expressing anguish over Justice Mishra's statements. Arora had claimed that no resolution was passed, as he did not sign the statement released to the media.
"The SCBA believes that the independence of the judiciary is the basic structure under the Constitution of India and that such independence be preserved in letter and spirit," the resolution had said.
( With inputs from IANS )