Alleged Molestation Of Lady IAS Officer At Saket Court: BCI Takes Strict View Even As Saket Bar Says Row Began When Her Husband Slapped Advocate

The Bar Council of India has taken suo motu cognizance of report of a lady IAS officer being molested by advocates at the Saket court and issued notice to the lawyers concerned asking them to show cause why their certificates of practice be not suspended even as the Saket Bar Association claims that it was the husband of the lady officer slapping an advocate that started the row.

The lady IAS officer posted in Mizoram was visiting Saket court on Thursday in a property-related case when she was allegedly molested by an advocate and his associates.

His husband, who is also an IAS officer, was also beaten up when he tried to intervene.

While reports say a police complaint was lodged by the couple against the accused advocates for molestation and criminal intimidation, Advocate Dhir Singh Kasana, honorary secretary of the Saket Bar Association, informed Livelaw that a cross-FIR has also been lodged in which the couple has been booked for misbehaving with an advocate and slapping him in the court.

The act of slapping, he said, was on some personal issue between the couple and the advocate.

On Saturday evening, the BCI said it had taken suo motu cognizance of the reports of misbehaviour with the lady IAS officer and viewed it very seriously.

While the BCI said the accused advocates and the Saket Bar Association have been given one-week time to file their replies after which the BCI would hold an emergent meeting to take a final decision on the issue, Kasana said he had not received any notice on behalf of the Saket Bar from the BCI.

Kasana also said, "What we know as of now is that the husband of the lady officer is also an IAS officer and had slapped the advocate in public. The advocates will obviously object if someone comes and misbehaves with their fellow advocate, that too in the court premises. This is what we saw in the CCTV footage. We don't know if there was any molestation. We are trying to go to the root of the matter to ascertain the true picture."