New Delhi : Bar Council of India (BCI) Co-Chairman and senior advocate YR Sadashiva Reddy has called for BCI Chairman Manan Mishra’s resignation, alleging that the apex regulatory body for the legal profession has “drifted from the standards” expected of it under his leadership. In a letter to Mishra, Reddy urged him to step down from the post “forthwith” or, at the latest, within 15 days of receiving the communication.
One of the key demands in the letter is a special audit of the accounts of the Bar Council of India and BCI Trust PEARL-First. Reddy has sought an independent audit covering the period from the trust’s registration to the present. He has proposed that the audit be conducted by an independent firm empanelled with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Among the grounds cited for seeking Mishra’s resignation are allegations that appointments to the BCI establishment were made without a transparent recruitment process. Reddy has also raised questions over the functioning of the Bar Council of India Trust, alleging that it was rendered defunct and that around Rs 150 crore in council funds were diverted to a newly created trust.
Reddy has also raised concerns over key positions in institutions run by the Council being held by members of Mishra’s family. The BCI co-chairman has also questioned a direction issued against the graduating batch of NALSAR University of Law, alleging that the matter was decided without relevant material being placed before the Council. Reddy’s letter has sought consideration of these issues at a special meeting and called for greater transparency and accountability in the functioning of the BCI.
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