Bar Council cancels Advocate’s licence, directs him to return Rs 10 lakh to each complainant with 12% interest
Holding guilty of professional misconduct the disciplinary committee of the Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana has permanently cancelled the licence of Jaswinder Singh, an advocate. The Bar Council has also ordered the removal of his name from the roll of advocates. Besides, the Lawyer has been directed to return Rs10 lakh to each complainant along with 12% interest per annum from the date of filing the complaint till the realisation of the amount. The council also directed him to pay Rs 2,00,000 to each complainant for harassment.The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has also sent the order to the SSP, Chandigarh, for the registration of case against the advocate & for taking appropriate action. The order was pronounced by the Bar Council on complaints of Hardam Singh & Piara SinghIn the complaint, they said that a case was registered under Section 302 & 307, of the Indian Penal Code, at the Abohar police station against them & others in 1997. All convicts were awarded imprisonment. All of them filed appeals against the State of Punjab before the Punjab & Haryana HC. However, on account of conviction, they were sent to jail. The complainants said that in Jan 2017 one of the convicts late Narinder Pal Singh came out of jail on parole & met one person. Narinderpal told him about his case.The person told him that his cousin knew someone, who had links in the HC. The complainants claimed that the person called Narinderpal & other convicts to Chandigarh, who arranged their meeting with Ajay Sharma, who alleged himself to be a clerk (Munshi) working with Advocate Jaswinder Singh.Sharma told them that if they & the convicts were ready to pay some amount then he could arrange their meeting with Jaswinder Singh, who would get them acquitted, the complainants added. The complainants & other convicts met Lawyer Jaswinder Singh at his residence in Chandigarh. Jaswinder assured them that he would get them acquitted if they paid Rs40 lakh (Rs10 lakh each for all 4 convicts), alleged complainants.Read also : बार काउंसिल ने रद्द किया वकील का लाइसेंस, शिकायतकर्ता को 12 फीसदी ब्याज के साथ 10 लाख रुपये लौटाने का निर्देशThey paid the amount to advocate at his residence, said, complainants. Advocate Jaswinder Singh assured them that he had to pay this money to the Judge & on the next date of hearing, all of them would be acquitted, alleged complainants. However, on the fixed date of hearing when nothing happened & the appeal was adjourned they demanded their money back.Jaswinder avoided meeting them, said, complainants. On giving notice Jaswinder denied all charges & argued that none of the complainants was his clients. He also denied that Ajay Sharma was known to him. After hearing arguments the council held the respondent (advocate) guilty of professional misconduct.
