Advocate Pradeep Bajia has been elected president of the District Bar Association (DBA), Hisar, while Rahul Singh Luhach won the post of vice president. Samir Sihag has been elected as secretary of the association.
Nearly 75 per cent polling was recorded in the election to elect the office bearers of the District Bar Association, Hisar, held on Friday. Polling was conducted through ballot papers, and out of 2,763 eligible voters, 2,088 advocates cast their votes to elect the office bearers, including the president, vice president, secretary, joint secretary and treasurer.
The election was conducted despite a stay imposed by the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the suspension of the licence of the Returning Officer (RO) of the DBA election, Advocate Dalip Jakhar. Jakhar had maintained that the election would proceed even after the BCI and the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) issued directions restraining the process.
Advocates associated with the DBA stated that the election was conducted peacefully.
In a last-ditch attempt, the BCPH also issued a letter informing about the interim suspension of Advocate Dalip Jakhar from practice. The order stated that during the suspension period, he was barred from appearing, pleading, filing vakalatnamas, advising clients, or practising before any court, tribunal or authority. He was also restrained from functioning as returning officer.
Notably, the BCI had also restrained Jakhar from functioning in any capacity connected with the District Bar Association elections, including Returning Officer, Election Officer, Convener, Coordinator or member of any election-related body.
Despite the orders, Jakhar on Thursday reiterated that the poll would be held.
The General Body meeting of the DBA had earlier decided to conduct elections after the completion of the tenure of the previous office bearers. Although an interim arrangement was made by constituting an ad hoc committee, another General Body meeting later appointed Dalip Jakhar as RO, who subsequently announced the elections.
There are two factions within the bar association—one represented by Advocate Jakhar and another opposing the elections.
The controversy intensified earlier this week after the opposing faction wrote to the BCPH and BCI. Following this, the BCI issued directions questioning the manner in which the elections were being conducted and cautioned that any poll held in violation of rules and regulations could be interfered with by the competent authority.
In its order dated June 10, the BCI stayed the notice and directions issued by Advocate Jakhar for conducting the elections. The Council reiterated that the entire election process initiated by the ad hoc committee or by Jakhar as Returning Officer would remain stayed until further orders.
The BCI also placed Advocate Jakhar under interim suspension from practice under Section 35 of the Advocates Act, 1961, and restrained him from functioning in any capacity related to the election process, including issuing notices, convening meetings, handling election records, voter lists, ballot materials, nomination records, attendance registers and other documents.
The RO had released the final list of candidates on May 29, with 17 advocates contesting various posts in the association.
An advocate had also approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a stay on the election process. The matter has been listed for hearing on June 15, while the election was conducted on June 12.
