Plea In Delhi High Court Seeks Financial Assistance As Interest Free Loan To Advocates For Five Years Facing Acute Shortage Of Money Due To Covid

A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court seeking extension of financial assistance as interest free loan to advocates enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in order to meet their basic needs and survive with dignity and make payment of School Fees, their pending EMIs against their various Loans/Credits Card Payments etc. in the times of covid.

Moved by various practicing lawyers of Delhi, the plea makes Union of India through Ministry of Finance, GNCTD, Delhi Bar Council and Reserve Bank of India as respondents.

Stating that the pandemic brought a drastic financial difficulty, the plea avers that most of the Advocates who come from middle class family and lower Middle class family are still waiting for opening of Court since last years, and when they were very hopefully for opening of the courts which had been completely closed due to second covid wave.

"That after expiry of more than 1.5 year and courts are still closed for its normal work, due to which now Advocates are also not in a positions to pay their respective EMI of their loans viz. Home, Car, personal Loan and Credit Cards Payments etc and also unable to pay school fees etc. of their children. Due to which most of school refused to teach their children's. The schools are rightfully forcing them to pay their school fees on time, which advocates are not able to pay as their own work is totally stopped from Last March 2020 till today." the plea reads.

Furthermore, stating that the Delhi Bar Council had floated a Tender dated 10 February 2021 for Redevelopment of their Head office at the estimated cost of Rs 3.5 Crore, the plea reads thus:

"At this time when all advocate are suffering from financial crises, there is no need for Redevelopment of Head Office of Respondent No.3 and this money should be utilized to save the advocates from this financial crises."

It is in this view that is has been stated that to preserve the dignity of Legal profession, a financial Assistance in the mode of Interest free Loan is required from the Respondents jointly or severally so that they can save, maintain their dignity in the front of society at large.

The plea states the following prayers:

- Issue an appropriate Writ, Order or Direction in the nature of mandamus or any other appropriate Writ or Direction against the respondents to provide the financial Assistance of Rupees Five Lakh in mode of interest free Loan to Advocates enrolled with Bar Council of Delhi without discrimination on the ground of residential address or voter id.

- Direct the Respondents to grant a interest free Loan of Rs 5,00,000 (Five Lakh) to each Advocates for the period of Five Years.

- Direct the Respondents to protect Advocates in this exceptional time of Corona pandemic and consequent paralysis in entire courts systems Hon'ble Court may be please to pass appropriate orders to protect the life and livelihood of thousands of young legal practitioners who are facing destitution and acquit shortage of livelihood money for day to day expenses.

Title: RITESH TANWAR & ORS v. UNION OF INDIA & ORS.