Financial Assistance To Advocates: Delhi Bar Council Issues Advisory For Lawyers Submitting False Covid Report To Tender Voluntary Apology

The Delhi Bar Association has issued an advisory for lawyers found to be submitting false or fake covid 19 report for the purpose of availing the financial assistance provided to advocates by giving them one time opportunity of tendering a voluntary apology to the Council.

The development came after the Council took cognizance of advocates submitting forged covid 19 reports in order to claim the aforesaid benefit.

The Delhi Bar Council has thus resolved to give Advocates an opportunity to furnish a voluntary apology in the form of affidavit along with demand draft of the amount already recieved in favour of the "Bar Council of Delhi Indigent & Disabled Lawyers Account".

"Needless to mention, this opportunity shall be granted only once, and later onstrict disciplinary action shall be taken against all those found involved in fabrication of covid reports for claiming grants." The advisory issued by the Bar Council of Delhi reads.

The Council had vide resolution dated 29th April, 2021 resolved to provide financial assistance to lawyers who got infected with covid 19 virus and were either home quarantined or hospitalized.

However, for the purpose of availing the benefits, it was made compulsory to submit a covid positive report.

"During the scrutiny of random 200 applications, it was found that 10 advocates had furnished, forged Covid report. Talking cognizance of the same, Bar Council of Delhi immediately took action and has suspended those advocates and constituted a Special Disciplinary Committee comprising of Sh. Murari Tiwari (Member, BcD), Sh. Sanjay Rathi (Member, BCD) & Sh. Piyush Gupta (Hony. Secretary, BCD)." The Advisory reads.